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Victoria Makalima, assistant Director for the Johnson and Johnson Burn Treatment Centre (left) and Roger Crawford, Executive Director, Worldwide Government Affairs and Policy for Johnson & Johnson (back right) happily assisted Nurse Ester Manson and clinical officer William Kalua from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi throughout their two-week specialised training session at the Burn Treatment Centre at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The training took place as a result of a public private partnership between the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, and the University of North Carolina in USA. The hospital in Malawi recently opened a burn unit and the hands-on training Ester and William received at the leading burn treatment centre in Africa, will no doubt make a huge difference in the lives of those in need.

Released: 9 November 2011

Wealth creation and economic growth are essential tools for sustainable development in Africa.

This finding is contained in the Development Support Monitor (DSM) study, which was released today in Sandton. African Monitor, the independent organisation responsible for the report notes in the study that development of any kind – economic, social and cultural – has to be people focussed.

The organisation said that the goal of development must be to enable people to enjoy their potential to be fully human.

"Historical evidence shows that there is a high risk that the opportunities Africa has now will be a false dawn, unless real effort is made to ensure that the macro-economic gains lead to real change on the ground, “says the study.

“There is cause for a more realistic assessment of whether or not this ‘African Moment’ will result in substantive real change for Africa’s poor.”

Africa has experienced growth episodes before which were rooted in trade and world economy, but not on domestic re-organisation of factors of production and investment in technology. 

The study concurs: “The recent boom was based on strong external demand for natural resources. 

“It was not associated with large improvements in human development and industrial growth. Instead, the boom was associated with orthodox macro-economic management and smaller debt burden and with propensity to rent-seeking policies.”

It said that the commodity boom has contributed to economic growth, but the real issue is whether the revenues can be harnessed for something sustainable.

African Monitor believes that the effort to chart a new development path for Africa must be based on an improved understanding and appreciation of how the African economy works and the current opportunities it presents for the broad citizenry. 

“The drivers of the imminent development breakthrough need to include what often lies below the radar of the official statistics and projections,” the study notes.

“The real concerns and needs of grassroots communities often lie in the invisible aspects of the economy, such as smallholder farming; the rural and informal sectors, and people’s resilience and social capital.”

While recognising the optimism presented by current opportunities, African Monitor says it is necessary to ensure the drivers of any imminent development breakthrough will see, and take into account, the pillars which are critical for more inclusive development this time round.

Having examined development funding commitments, funding delivery as well as the impact on grassroots communities in Africa, African Monitor held that inadequate infrastructure is a significant hindrance to the effective participation of ordinary citizens in economic, social and political activities.

“The exclusion of the rural and urban poor, youth and women from social and economic activities, reduces their capability to function as economic actors, which increases their vulnerability to poverty,” says the study.

“This systematic exclusion is facilitated and sustained by the continued lack of access to economic basic facilities and services for the poor.”

According to the organisation, bringing the corrective balance of human realities into all policy-making is essential for Africa’s long term well-being, without which humanity will not survive.

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, President of African Monitor, said: “Our observation is that a lot of the talk about what would constitute Africa’s moment, whilst quite relevant, is not so much people-focused but is rather largely based on the usual macro-economic projections.”

“However, we remain motivated by these current waves indicating that the continent is about to achieve a development breakthrough; that something is about to give in and allow the continent to experience its full potential.”

 ENDS.

African Monitor was established in 2006 as an independent continental body to monitor development funding commitments, funding delivery as well as the impact on grassroots communities. It also works towards bringing strong additional African voices to the development agenda.

The Development Support Monitor 2011 is a first in a series of publications that will look at various questions to promote an inclusive agenda to achieve the African Moment for grassroots communities.  Over a period of time, the DSM will seek to answer the following questions:

·    What are the structural economic, social and political fundamentals that will facilitate the inclusion of grassroots communities in Africa’s development path?

·         What policies, approaches and practice changes need to be made for sustainable development?

·      How should development resources be generated and allocated to meet the imperatives for an inclusive development agenda for grassroots communities?

Last changed: Nov 09 2011 at 2:05 PM