Progress is fragile, however, and requires strong support from the donor community.
The United States has vital interests in a prosperous West and Central Africa. In the health sector, professionals are convinced that the only way to effectively control the global AIDS pandemic is to gain control of it in all parts of the world, including highly infected areas in Africa and elsewhere. Problems of strong interest to the United States, such as global climate change and maintenance of biodiversity, are being aggravated in this region by population pressure on the limited natural resource base. The support of these 24 countries for U.S. positions is important in a wide range of international fora, and prospects for such support are enhanced through U.S. engagement on issues and problems vital to the region's welfare. Finally, the United States can enjoy the benefits of an increasingly productive economic and trade relationship with these countries only if economies in the region experience high growth.