Uganda and Malawi show that it is still possible to achieve the same results today. Secondly, fertility in Africa is falling and evidence of a large and unmet demand for contraception shows that this trend is likely to continue as long as governments enact policies to allow this demand to be met. White concluded by saying that we should realise that there are no new ideas to 'fix' poverty in Africa. Most current policy approaches have their origins in earlier thinking on development. For example the sustainable rural livelihoods approach can be traced back to the integrated rural development approach of the 1970s.
Greater attention needs to be paid therefore to what can be done to make ideas work.
Optimism for Africa must not be overstated - if policies continue to be implemented in the same way as they are at present then the International Development Targets will not be met. It is important to recognise that social capital is a key factor in poverty reduction - particularly for those whose welfare is contingent on redistribution. To reduce poverty in Africa measures need to focus on reducing shocks, e.g. climatic and terms of trade shocks, and finding measures that can allow the poor to smooth consumption when shocks hit. War must be at the heart of any explanation of poverty in Africa. The link between inequality and market reform needs to be understood.