SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Strategies & Market Trends : Africa and its Issues- Why Have We Ignored Africa?
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: epicure who wrote (139)6/30/2003 2:56:32 PM
From: epicure  Read Replies (1) of 1267
 
Top Worldwide




AIDS Virus Aggravating Food Shortages in Africa, UN's FAO Says
June 30 (Bloomberg) -- AIDS is undermining efforts by African governments to cope with food shortages as the virus kills agricultural workers and ministry officials, according to a report by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.

AIDS has killed about 7 million farm workers since 1985 in the 25 worst-hit African countries and could kill 16 million more by 2020, the Rome-based organization said in an e-mailed statement.

``Hunger and poverty, aggravated by HIV/AIDS, creates a vicious spiral,'' said FAO Director-General Dr. Jacques Diouf in the statement. ``Where farmers and their families fall sick, they cultivate less land and shift to less labor-intensive and nutritious crops, agricultural productivity decreases and hunger and malnutrition are on the rise.''

The UN said last week that a global fund to fight acquired immune deficiency syndrome or the human immunodeficiency virus that causes the disease faces a $700 million shortfall for grants to the most-infected nations.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest prevalence of under- nourished people in the world and the highest rate of AIDS victims. Almost 30 million of the 42 million people with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa, over half of them in rural areas.

The FAO report recommends that African agriculture ministries educate their staff about the disease to help limit the illness and fatalities among government personnel.

AIDS caused more than half of the staff deaths at Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture in the last five years. About 16 percent of Malawi's Agriculture Ministry have the disease.

The report also urges governments to allow for the costs of HIV/AIDS in their budgets and support projects that help the elderly, women and children take over agricultural tasks previously carried out by young adults.

At last year's World Food Summit the international community renewed a 1996 pledge to more than halve the number of hungry people in the world to about 400 million by 2015. Meeting that target would increase the world's gross domestic product by $120 billion, according to the FAO.

Last Updated: June 30, 2003 07:08 EDT
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News