From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: AFRICA: POVERTY, DROUGHT, AIDS AFFECT ALMOST HALF THE POPULATION
Originator: @gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 05:50:46 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: AFRICA: POVERTY, DROUGHT, AIDS AFFECT ALMOST HALF THE POPULATION


geneva, nov 10 (ips) -- forty-eight out of every 100 inhabitants
of sub-saharan africa live in conditions of extreme poverty,
according to a report released tuesday by the organization of
african unity (oau) and the un children's fund (unicef).

the report also stated that almost half of the region's people
were afflicted by malnutrition, drought and/or the acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (aids).

its release coincided with the announcement here that an
international conference on aid for children in africa would be
held in dakar, senegal, on november 25 to 27.

according to the world bank's 1992 report, quoted in the
oau/unicef document, 216 million people, about 48 percent of the
population of sub-saharan africa, now live in misery.

this is due mainly to a sudden drop in exports between 1989
and 1991 , which sharply reduced the incomes of the region's
inhabitants.

africa's total population is estimated at 642 million.

children, who make up as much as 65 percent of the population
in some countries, are the hardest hit by the tragedy.

infant mortality among african children under the age of five
years is 164 per 1000. in 1990 alone, over 4.5 million children
in this age group died from hunger or lack of medical attention.

according to world bank figures, the infant mortality rate for
children under five in the industrialized countries is 17 per
1000.

macro-economic indicators mirror this difference: the average
per capita income of the developed countries is 20,170 dollars
per year. in africa's case it is barely 340 dollars.

the oau/unicef report devotes an entire chapter to aids, which
has become a regional pandemic with catastrophic consequences.

no fewer than 6.5 million people south of the sahara are
infected by aids, making the area the worst affected region on
earth. if this trend continues, the report warned, hundreds of
thousands of african women and children will die during the first
years of the 21st century.

the dakar meeting on aid for africa's children was announced
here by pascal gayama, the oau's assistant secretary-general,
unicef's deputy director, richard jolly, and alioune sene, the
permanent representative of senegal in geneva. (more)
----


they said that, according to the oau/unicef report, africa
needed investment amounting to 12.7 billion dollars each year to
escape the tragedy which is exterminating the continent's
children.

they explained that 8,850 million dollars are needed for
health and basic education programmes.

environmental defence projects require another 1,150 million
dollars and 2,700 million dollars would have to be provided for
the economic, social and environmental problems which the various
tragedies affecting the continent have caused.

the organizers of the dakar meeting said it was conceived as a
follow-up to the 1990 un children's summit and the 1991 oau
summit.

''at both events the adoption of measures to end the tragedy
was recommended to the international community and this is our
objective,'' sene said.

the unicef, co-sponsor of the dakar meeting, will take charge
of all documentation and technical assistance activities linked
to it.

unicef officials and diplomats contacted by ips admitted that
they were worried over the role played by the united nations with
regard to the african situation.

they explained that industrialized countries, especially the
united states, were putting increased pressure on the united
nations to cut its costs because of its financial crisis and this
hampered international cooperation with africa.

un secretary-general boutros boutros-ghali recently designated
a committee of eminent personalities to study the united nations'
financial situation.

the commission is financed by the ford foundation. it includes
international personalities linked to big banks and transnational
corporations, such as its president, paul volcker, former
secretary of the u.s. federal reserve.

non-governmental human rights organizations such as the
american association of jurists maintain that the united nations'
financial crisis would be resolved if those of its member states
who owe it funds pay up their contributions.

the united states, the international body's biggest
contributor, owed it 555.26 million dollars up to june 1992,
according to official data. (end/ips/trd/so/ved-ego/kb/92)