Summary of discussions on IITA - WARDA

This record contains the summary notes of the following two meetings: a) the September 8, 2005 meeting held in Washington to discuss the recommendations relating to West and Central Africa by the CGIAR Task Forces on Programmatic and Structural/Organizational Alignment and the October 1-2, 2005 meeting held in Paris, France between the Executive Committees of the Boards of Trustees of IITA and WARDA. This record was discussed at the Business meeting at AGM2005

How the Cervical Microbiota Contributes to Cervical Cancer Risk in Sub-Saharan Africa

Despite ongoing efforts, sub-Saharan Africa faces a higher cervical cancer burden than anywhere else in the world. Besides HPV infection, definitive factors of cervical cancer are still unclear. Particular states of the cervicovaginal microbiota and viral infections are associated with increased cervical cancer risk. Notably, HIV infection, which is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, greatly increases risk of cervicovaginal dysbiosis and cervical cancer. To better understand and address cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, a better knowledge of the regional cervicovaginal microbiome is required This review establishes current knowledge of HPV, HIV, cervicovaginal infections, and the cervicovaginal microbiota in sub-Saharan Africa. Because population statistics are not available for the region, estimates are derived from smaller cohort studies. Microbiota associated with cervical inflammation have been found to be especially prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, and to associate with increased cervical cancer risk. In addition to high prevalence and diversity of HIV and HPV, intracellular bacterial infections such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Mycoplasma hominis are much more common than in regions with a low burden of cervical cancer. This suggests the prevalence of cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa may be partially attributed to increased cervical inflammation resulting from higher likelihood of cervical infection and/or microbial dysbiosis

Report of the CGIAR Sub-Saharan Africa Task Forces : the Tervuren Consensus

The CGIAR created two Task Forces (TFs) to conduct a study on rationalization of CGIAR operations across the System, starting with Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). TF1 was asked to examine CGIAR’s work in terms of its programmatic coherence with and relevance to the CGIAR’s vision, goals and its clients’ needs, with a view to identifying opportunities for integration and synergies. TF2 was given the task of reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the existing System arrangements and identify opportunities for organizational adjustments towards increasing effectiveness and efficiency of CGIAR research. The two TFs decided to work closely together, hold joint meetings, and prepare a joint report. The observations and conclusions presented in this report were drawn based on data or information collected from available published documents/reports and using instruments which included the following: 1) a survey of the perceptions of the CGIAR stakeholders in SSA; 2) a survey of the CGIAR Centers infrastructure, staff resources, funding, program focus, and interaction with partners (mode and product of cooperation) in the region; and 3) field consultations/visits undertaken by consultants engaged by the TFs. This report was discussed at the Business Meeting at AGM2005

Systematic review of birth cohort studies in Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, unacceptably high rates of mortality amongst women and children continue to persist. The emergence of research employing new genomic technologies is advancing knowledge on cause of disease. This review aims to identify birth cohort studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa and to consider their suitability as a platform to support genetic epidemiological studies

Policy options of agricultural biotechnology R&D in Sub-Saharan Africa: key issues and aspects

This paper reviews the status of Agricultural Biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa. It addresses the potential economic benefits to Sub-Saharan Africa and the effect biotechnology policies may have on growth, production and poverty reduction. The extent to which agricultural biotechnology will compound or mitigate the constraints faced by smallholders/subsistence farmers is also discussed. The status of crop biotechnology research worldwide is reviewed and the influence of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and market concentration on the development and diffusion of biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa is analyzed. The paper also explores the potential of public-private partnerships and recommends policy measures and investments that could focus more biotechnology research on the problems of the poor and alleviate some of the concerns about the impacts of biotechnology.Policy Options; Intellectual Property; Biotechnology; Sub-Saharan Africa; Technology Diffusion

Promoting a strong seed sector in Sub-Saharan Africa:

"Given that Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest incidence of poverty and malnutrition in the world, the stagnation in per capita grain production there is worrisome. Since 1970, per capita grain production in Sub-Saharan Africa has declined more than 10 percent. Increasing the productivity of staple foodcrops will help poor farmers and consumers, and one of the most sustainable ways to expand food production in Sub-Saharan Africa is to generate new technologies—including staple seed varieties—that are adapted to the constraints of the continent's small-scale farmers. The region thus requires a cost-effective system of seed production and distribution to ensure that appropriate seeds are delivered to farmers. Both the private and public sectors have a role to play in developing the seed sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although the private sector can effectively carry out many seed production and distribution activities, for reasons discussed in this brief, private companies acting on their own will not develop and produce optimal amounts of appropriate seeds for Sub-Saharan Africa. Thus the public sector also has a role to play." from Author's textSeed systems, Private sector, Public sector,

Model HPV Vaccine Recommendations For Sub-Saharan Africa

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Access, affordability, and alternatives: Modern infrastructure services in Africa

This report reviews recent trends in household access to infrastructure services and associated budgetary expenditures in Africa. It is based on a pooled database that draws upon the entire body of household surveys conducted in sub-Saharan Africa in the last 15 years.Basic Infrastructure; Water; Electricity; sub-Saharan Africa

The road half traveled

This brief reviews the extensive evidence on agricultural market reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa and summarizes the impact reforms have had on market performance, agricultural production, use of modern inputs, and poverty. It offers eight recommendations for completing the reform process and developing a new agenda for agricultural markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Technology trap and poverty trap in Sub-Saharan Africa

Since the industrial revolution, advances in science and technology have continuously accounted for most of the growth and wealth accumulation in leading industrialized economies. In recent years, the contribution of technological progress to growth and welfare improvement has increased even further, especially with the globalization process which has been characterized by exponential growth in exports of manufactured goods. This paper establishes the existence of a technology trap in Sub-Saharan Africa. It shows that the widening income and welfare gap between Sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of world is largely accounted for by the technology trap responsible for the poverty trap. This result is supported by empirical evidence which suggests that if countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were using the same level of technology enjoyed by industrialized countries income levels in Sub-Saharan Africa would be significantly higher. The result is robust, even after controlling for institutional, macroeconomic instability and volatility factors. Consistent with standard one-sector neoclassical growth models, this suggests that uniform convergence to a worldwide technology frontier may lead to income convergence in the spherical space. Overcoming the technology trap in Sub-Saharan Africa may therefore be essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and evolving toward global convergence in the process of economic development.Technology Industry,Economic Theory&Research,Achieving Shared Growth,ICT Policy and Strategies,E-Business