science and technology for sustainable development the african context daniel schaffer, twas,...

Science and TechnologyScience and Technologyfor Sustainable Development for Sustainable Development

The African ContextThe African Context

Daniel Schaffer, TWAS, Italy Symposium at AAAS Annual Meeting, Boston, USA, 17 February 2008

2Science and Technology for Sustainable Development: The African Context

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achieve universal primary education

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

4. Reduce child mortality

5. Improve maternal health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

8. Develop a global partnership for development

Millennium Development Goals


Africa and the MDGs, UN, 2007 update

Millennium Development Goals

At midway point between their adoption in 2000 and 2015 target date for achieving the MDGs, sub-Saharan Africa is not on track to achieve any of the goals ...

Even the best governed countries on the continent have not been able to make sufficient progress in reducing extreme poverty in its many forms.

“”


Africa: Facts and Figures

• 35 of the world’s 50 least developed countries

• 70% of all Africans live on less than $2 a day

• 26.5 million Africans are infected with HIV, and 2.5 million die each year of AIDS

• 70% of Africans do not have electricity


Poverty

• MDGs: Reduce by half the number of people living in extreme poverty

• Africa: Down 5% from 46% (1999) to 41% (2004)


Child Mortality

• MDGs: Reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate of children under 5

• Africa: Down 10% from 185 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 166 in 2005


Safe Drinking Water

• MDGs: Reduce by half the number of people without access to safe drinking water

• Africa: Population using safe drinking water up 7% from 49% (1990) to 56% (2004)


Contribution of STI to MDGs

• MDGs will not be met without:– strong capacity to generate and utilize STI – international partnerships to build and sustain this

capacity in poor countries


Contribution of STI to MDGs

• STI capacity in Africa must focus on: – strategies that take advantage of existing

science and technology and that meet Africa’s critical social and economic needs

– Africa’s wealth of traditional knowledge, often based on proven but yet to be scientifically verified information/data/experience

– new fields of science and cutting-edge technologies that have important applications for poverty alleviation and sustainable development


For the first time in a long time...

• Science in sub-Saharan Africa is being recognized as a key element for sustained growth.

• And the focus on MDGs has something to do with this.


Role of science is recognized

• It’s happening at the international level.– Intense focus on MDGs (UNDP, WHO,

World Bank)– G8 (Gleneagles Summit in 2005)

• It’s happening among aid agencies.– Scandinavian aid agencies targeting funds

for LDCs, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.



• It’s happening among foundations.– Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

(focus on public health and agricultural development)

• It’s happening among developing countries.– Brazil’s cooperation with Portuguese-

speaking countries in Africa– China’s Development Fund for Africa



• It’s happening among national science academies.– IAP– NASAC



• And, most importantly, it’s happening in Africa itself.– Launch of NEPAD, the New Partnership for

Africa’s Development (2001)– Creation of Africa’s first presidential

committee STI in Nigeria (2002)– Establishment of African Ministerial Council

on S&T (2003)



• And, most importantly, it’s happening in Africa itself.– Publication of Africa’s S&T Consolidated

Plan of Action (2006)– African Union Summit dedicated to STI

(2007)– ‘Science With Africa’

Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(March 2008)



• Several African countries have substantially increased investment in S&T– Ghana– Kenya– Nigeria– Rwanda– South Africa– Tanzania– Uganda– Zambia



• Malawi: Raising agricultural productivity• Niger, Togo, Zanzibar: Controlling

malaria• Zambia: Broadening access to basic

rural health services• Niger: Reforestation• Senegal, Uganda: Increasing access to

safe drinking water and sanitation


• Several African countries are investing in cutting-edge science– ICTs: Nigeria, Rwanda– Biotech: South Africa, Uganda– Space S&T: Nigeria– Nanotech: South Africa



Challenges

• Inequality– Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP increased

• 3.7% (2000-2003)• 5.6% (2004-2006)

– 40% of people live in extreme poverty

• Population growth– Africa’s population will double by 2050

reaching 2 billion


Challenges

• Political instability– Kenya, Chad

• Global environmental problems– Global warming– Desertification– Loss of biodiversity


Beyond MDGs and benchmarks

• MDGs have helped focus global attention on problems of poverty and development– providing way to measure progress

• MDGs have also energized nations, funders and institutions – providing valuable experience on what

works and what doesn’t work


Key question

• How to build scientific and technology capacity in ways that reduce poverty and create wealth on a sustainable basis?

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Speaking today

• Thomas EgwangAfrican Academy of Sciences

• Martine NgoboInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture

• Hans HerrenMillennium Institute

• Phillip GriffithsScience Initiative Group, Institute for Advanced Study

• Alfred WatkinsThe World Bank

science and technology for sustainable development the african context daniel schaffer, twas,...

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