1. AFRICA REGION
Achi Atsain
(Chair)

2. ISSUES
Enhance access to markets and design policies to reduce all forms of risks
Balanced social/economic investments, e.g. health and education vs. roads and agriculture
In developed world, major causes of death are cardiovascular (high blood pressure, high cholesterol)

3. ISSUES (cont’d)
Developing countries have double disease burden, i.e. both cardiovascular, but most important infections and malnutrition related
Focus on building capacity of young people and farmers
Malnutrition and poverty are causal and effect of each other

4. ISSUES (cont’d)
Optimal budgetary allocation between social services (health education) and growth related (e.g., agriculture) still a challenge for most African countries
No special problem with Africa – proposed solutions not adequately implemented
Issues of conflict and governance not well discussed

5. ISSUES (cont’d)
African countries need to be allowed room to design and implement own policies and diversity partners based on perceived mutual benefits.

6. POLICIES / MECHANISMS Improve the policy environment
Enhance public-private sector partnerships
Improve infrastructure (social and growth related)
Involve communities in all interventions – they are cheaper and better
Train African women and ill-health and malnutrition will be reduced

7. POLICIES / MECHANISMS (cont’d)
Foster innovation in value chain and equitable access to knowledge
Aim at better integration and participatory curriculum development in education
Focus on increasing the productivity of agricultural labor (the most abundant resource in Africa
Aim at better integration of production and marketing
Train your people and build roads as a jump start