The minister noted that Uganda lacks a method of simplicity for doing business for investors and other business community. He reveals that is about to table a new Investment  amendment bill so as government stops investors buying non existing land and making easy for investors to make business in the country.

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According to a statement by the trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, the move follows numerous complaints from the business community over the reported influx of foreigners involved in petty businesses.

Some of the complaints included, the growing number of foreigners operating unlicensed businesses, abuse of the investment regulation requiring a minimum investment capital of at least US 1000 dollars.

The pseudo investors are also accused of dominating the entire distribution chain in the manufacturing sector, wholesale, retail and hawking which she said is an uncompetitive practice.

The statement also indicates that consultations with other stake holders  including Kampala Capital City Authority, Internal Affairs Ministry and Uganda Investment Authority were held and it was agreed that an inter-ministerial approach be taken to address the matter.

The two weeks exercise will begin with the greater Kampala including Wakiso and Mukono districts and later be rolled out to other local and urban authorities.

The ministry however explains that the exercise is not meant to witch-hunt foreigners but rather create trade order in accordance with legal provisions of the Trade license Act.

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This morning Africa’s largest independent oil company, Tullow Oil plc (‘Tullow’), kicked off a new business initiative aimed at attracting and facilitating further investment in the continent.

Invest in Africa aims to encourage long-term investment across the continent to help build and develop local capacity, boost domestic job markets, develop skills and stimulate economic growth.

The programme’s call to action will be supported through a unique partnership with English Premier League football club, Sunderland AFC.

As the initial Founding Partner establishing Invest in Africa, Tullow plans to secure five further Founding Partners from the international businesses community focused on Africa. These Partners will help to evolve and shape the programme in years to come.

Speaking at the launch, Tullow Chief Executive Aidan Heavey said:
“Tullow is investing in Africa for the long term and we want more businesses to do the same. Africa has been good to us, and we have been successful, but we want that success to bring growth for local people and economies too. Africa’s a great place to invest and this partnership with Sunderland AFC will allow us to get the message to a global audience. There are some great opportunities out there and we want other companies who share our vision to join us.”

Niall Quinn, Director of International Development, Sunderland AFC said:
“We are genuinely excited about this ground-breaking opportunity to bring Sunderland into new territories and the global appeal of the Premier League is something that we can harness as a powerful tool for change through our innovative partnership with Invest in Africa.

“Africa’s passion for football is both heart-warming and inspirational and as a football club with community, people and international aspirations firmly at its core, there is a natural synergy between us and this wonderful continent. We look forward to growing and developing the partnership in the coming months.”

Ike Duker, Executive Chairman of Tullow Ghana Ltd added:
“While we are delighted to be at the forefront of this innovative and exciting new business programme, this is not just about Tullow. This is an initiative that can help to build stable, investment friendly environments to allow businesses to grow across Africa, create jobs and enable Africa’s people to share in the wealth and prosperity that come with it.”

Further details about the initiative including the additional partners which join the campaign will be announced at the end of the Premier League season.

View images from the event launch via the following links:
http://twitter.com/TullowOilplc/status/161835119676637185/photo/1
http://pic.twitter.com/lIehei3X
http://pic.twitter.com/2hutIb7k

FOR FURTHER MEDIA QUERIES:
WSM Communications
Grant Rowley
(+44 20 7 183 4610)
(+44 7872 460 254)
grant.rowley@wsmcommunications.com

WSM Communications
Ben Cummings
(+233 547 827 060)
(+971 555 689 169)
ben.cummings@wsmcommunications.com

The post Pioneering African business initiative launched by Tullow Oil first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

I congratulate you all, upon the completion of the year 2011 and wish you a prosperous 2012.   I wish to convey my sympathies to all who have experienced losses and misfortunes during the course of the year.  We thank God for all the successes we have had as individuals and as a Nation.  I congratulate the Uganda National football team, the Uganda Cranes, for winning the CECAFA Senior challenge cup.  I congratulate our athletes who got medals in Maputo, particularly, Kipsiro, Negesa, Akoru Christine and Mugabi Silver.

As we start the next year, government continues to work on the priorities set out for the 2011/12 Financial Year:

i.    Infrastructure development in roads, railways and energy;

ii.    Enhancing agricultural production and productivity;

iii.    Employment creation, especially for the youth, women and in Small and Medium Enterprises;

iv.    Human Resource development; and

v.    Improving service delivery

Uganda’s economic performance over the last year has continued to be robust, even in the face of challenges. This is clear manifestation of the resilience that has been built by consistent economic policy and management of the NRM Government, enabling the economy to resist the economic shocks, both local and global, over the last decades.

Economic growth rates have averaged 6.5 per cent per annum in real terms and the exchange rate of the Uganda Shilling has not suffered major volatility, the increase rate of exchange being beneficial to exporters and reigning in increased demand for imports. Inflation has been at single digit over the years and the recent surge caused by rising food and fuel prices has abated. As compared to other global and in Regional economies, the overall performance of the Uganda economy has been comparatively better.

As we commence the Year 2012, there are numerous opportunities that present themselves to Ugandans from the challenges that we have all faced in the past year. It is imperative that Uganda seize these opportunities to increase production and household incomes as increased prices are meant to be a stimulus rather than being a short-term constraint.

Economic Performance

National Output

During 2011, total National Output of goods and services, or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was estimated to grow at 6.4% in the year ending June 2011 amounting to a total GDP of the Uganda Economy of Uganda shillings 38.73 trillion (US$ 16.7 billion). The growth performance was quite good despite the pressures that emerged late in the second half of the financial year that led to increasing food and fuel price inflation. The GDP growth rate was an increase from 5.9% registered during the previous financial year, while the global economy recovered slowly from recession.  Isn’t this continued growth of the economy of Uganda, in spite of the bad economic situation globally, a shame to those who were predicting doom at the beginning of the year?  It is good that many Ugandans, especially in the countryside, did not believe these charlatans.  The few Ugandans that believed these charlatans should remember what is written in the Gospel of St. Matthew, 6: 30-31, which says: “….O you people of little faith…”

Prices and Recent Inflation Trends

Since February 2011, Uganda, like other East African countries, has been experiencing inflationary pressures, with prices rising from 1.4% per annum in November 2010 to 27% per annum in December 2011. The increase in inflation in Uganda over the last year was driven primarily by the following factors:-

i.    High regional demand for food, arising from widespread drought in the region;

ii.    High international fuel prices;

iii.    Imported inflation leading to rise in prices of capital and consumer goods and services;

iv.    Poor rainfall in a few areas of the country resulting in reduced market supply of food; and

v.    Impact of a weaker shilling against the dollar due to a strong dollar globally.

Food crop prices have registered the greatest increase rising from negative 5.5% November 2010 to 20.4% in December 2011. Food prices have, themselves, been driven up sharply in the last 12 months because of the following two factors. Firstly, constraints to food production, notably poor rainfall in some parts of Uganda has led to lower than normal food production in some parts of the country. The second reason has been the increased local and regional demand for food. While demand for food increases, without commensurate production the prices inevitably shoot up.

I reiterate that this challenge presents an opportunity for farmers to increase production, since there is increased certainty that their produce will be sold at higher prices than when they only fetched a mere pittance for their efforts. Commensurately, increased production of food will enable the eventual lowering of food prices, which will benefit non-food producers such as industrial workers and other urban-based consumers.

External Sector Developments

During the year, the Uganda shilling had continued to depreciate against the United States Dollar. The exchange rate of the Uganda Shilling to the United States Dollar depreciated from 1,900 in 2009 to 2,400 early December 2011. This was due to two main reasons. First, the depreciation in the initial phase reflected a market-based correction of the exchange rate since the Uganda Shilling was over-valued, a factor that penalized exports, as export earnings in foreign currency earned less Uganda Shillings.

The second factor causing the depreciation of the Uganda Shilling was observed more recently at the end of 2010, as the growth of Uganda’s export earnings has not been at the same pace as the growth in the import bill. Total export receipts of goods increased from US$ 2.2 billion in 2009 to US$ 2.3 billion in 2010.  This could have been higher if the demand for exports in developed countries had not slowed down as a consequence of the global economic crisis. In comparison, Uganda’s import bill grew by 9.1% from US$ 4.3 billion in 2009 to US$ 4.7 billion in 2010, having fallen by only 5.4% in the previous year.

In addition to slow growth in export receipts, several of the main sources of foreign exchange inflows – remittances, tourism, private capital etc,  were negatively affected by the global economic crisis.

Hence, the depreciation of the shilling was an organic mechanism that helped us to discourage excessive imports.  Additionally, a depreciated shilling encourages exports because you earn more shillings in each dollar.  With strong Regional demand for food, this is a good opportunity for exports.

The National Resistance Movement Government is prioritizing the following interventions to support increased production of goods and services:

Agriculture

Agriculture remains the backbone of our economy and is identified as one of the most critical primary growth sectors of our National Development Plan. That is why over the years, Government has implemented numerous interventions with the objective of transforming the millions of Ugandan households currently in subsistence agriculture to commercialized agriculture. It has long been recognized that structural transformation entails moving away from relying on rudimentary methods such as rain-fed agriculture to irrigation, from the hand-hoe to mechanized agriculture; and from production for household consumption to production for the market with associated value addition through agro-processing.

The Government will, therefore, address the critical concerns of food security, household incomes, value addition and exports growth through a commodity-based approach within the context of the agricultural zoning strategy of 2004.  The commodity approach will allow for focusing interventions on a few strategic commodities at a time, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting maximum value from the resources invested in each commodity. It also permits for a more realistic way of addressing cross-cutting issues such as extension services, provision of planting/stocking materials, machinery for land preparation, irrigation, disease and pest control and post-harvest handling.  This is because the resources will be allocated based on the immediate and known needs rather than allocations based on assumed generic needs. This will form our strategy for increasing agricultural production and productivity.

The Government has identified 15 strategic commodities which were arrived at based on returns on investment, the number of households that grow a given commodity, their contribution to exports among other factors.

Under the category for food security the following commodities will be promoted: (i) Maize, (ii) Beans, (iii) Rice, (iv) Bananas, (v) Cassava, (vi) beef cattle and (vii) dairy cattle. Under the regional export potential category, the priority commodities are: (i) Maize, (ii) Beans, (ii) Cassava, (iii) Dairy cattle, (iv) Beef cattle, (v) Poultry. Under the third category of International export potential, the following commodities to be prioritized are: (i) Coffee (ii) Tea, (iii) Fish, (iv) Cotton, (v) Flowers, (vi) Vegetables and (vii) fruits. It is imperative to note that the commodities selected have a national character and, therefore, interventions will cover all the areas of Uganda.

The commodity approach will be implemented by partnering with the private sector. Government support using the commodity approach will be used to leverage both private sector and development partner resources through multi-stakeholder platforms. For example, in coffee, there is significant investment by the private sector in many processing facilities and provision of extension services as demonstrated by Kaweri Coffee in Mubende district. Similarly, private sector investment in the fruit processing is growing, with Coca Cola planning to invest heavily in fruit processing. With respect to development partners, we have a number of agencies including the African Development Bank, the European Union and others that are investing in specific value chains that include maize, oil seeds and coffee.

Transport Infrastructure

In order to ensure efficient movement of goods and people, the NRM Government continues to prioritize the upgrading and maintenance of the national road network to ensure that it is not only permanently motorable but also up to international standards. Our focus will mainly be on construction of several strategic national and feeder roads.

In addition, Government will also soon embark on improving the transport network and ease traffic congestion in metropolitan Kampala which will involve the expansion of key highways leading to and from the city, construction of fly-overs and introduction of the Rapid Bus Transport System within Kampala City. Kampala Capital City Authority will be provided with all the necessary support in its efforts to decongest the city and infrastructure improvements. With assistance from our development partners from the People’s Republic of China, the construction of the new Kampala-Entebbe highway will commence in 2012. Government is also planning to construct an alternative road to Jinja through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

I am aware that a number of the district roads taken over by the Central Government are not in good motorable condition. The condition of these roads has been greatly affected by the recent torrential rains. I am, therefore, directing Uganda National Roads Authority and the Uganda Road Fund to start implementing a work plan to rehabilitate these roads.

With assistance from the Government of China, we are also in the final stages of securing the road units for all local governments. This equipment will provide local governments with the necessary capacity to carry out periodic and routine maintenance of the district and community access roads.

However, despite the increased resources and the progress so far registered, the road sector is still characterized by a number of challenges. These include lack of value for money spent on numerous road projects, high unit costs and corruption by both political and technical officers within the sector who collude with the contractors to inflate contracts and also carry out sub-standard road works. For instance, I have been reliably informed that the unit cost of constructing Mbarara-Kabale-Katuna road is more than double what will be spent on the Rwandan side, the fact that the terrain is almost similar among other factors notwithstanding.

I am also informed that the recent innovation in this hemorrhage is through inflating Bills of Quantities by Engineers which then get translated into high bid prices.    I want to caution all those involved in this kind of outright theft that the law will undoubtedly catch up with them sooner than later. I am repeating my directive to the Auditor General to immediately carry out a forensic value for Money Audit in the roads sector using a firm of international repute and urgently submit a comprehensive report.

Energy Infrastructure

Access to power is critical for any country’s development because it provides opportunities for increased industrial processing and production, social welfare, education, environmental protection and income generating activities. However, the country is currently experiencing acute power shortages arising out of insufficient power generation, amidst the sharply increasing demand for electricity for both domestic and industrial consumption.  This, as I have told you many times, was caused by the sabotage of some elements in the 6th Parliament.

While there have been some delays in the commissioning of the first unit of the 250 MW Bujagali Hydropower Dam, the key Government interventions of provision of subsidized power from thermal sources and the commissioning of power in the small renewable energy plants have yielded significant benefits for the economy.

The Government subsidy has ensured that the full cost of power is not borne by the consumer as would have been the case had Government left the power tariffs to be determined by the forces of demand and supply. As a result, power tariffs have remained manageable. It is, however, evident that the Thermal power is too costly and unsustainable in both the short and medium term. It is estimated that since the year 2006, we have paid more than US$ 1.0 billion in Energy Subsidy. With the full completion of Bujagali hydro power station in 2012, an additional 250 MW will be added to the national power grid and power outages will become much less frequent. Government is also aware that in order to meet the increased demand for power to support industrialization and avert environmental degradation, we will have to scale up power supply by constructing more hydro-electricity generation plants.  At present, the demand for electricity at peak hours is 450 MW. Yet electricity production, including the very expensive diesel generated electricity, is 375 MW.  Therefore, the deficit is 75 MW.  Therefore, with the 250 MW of Bujagali, the deficit will be eliminated for about two years.  In order to avoid future problems, we must quickly move on other power projects.  Government’s long-term intervention will be to increase power supply through increasing generation capacity. Priority will be given to the commencement of the construction of the 700 MW Karuma Hydropower project;  and also soon start on construction of the 140 MW Isimba hydropower plant, which will be developed with private sector financing. We will also speed up arrangements to start on the first phase of the 600 MW Ayago hydropower. In addition to the big projects, several other mini-hydropower plants are being constructed by private developers such as at Mpanga, Buseruka and Ishasha. These will contribute an estimated additional 35 Megawatts to the national grid next Financial Year.

Most of these projects are being funded through a multi-pronged approach, that includes utilization of our own domestic revenues and through the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), in addition to traditional sources of financing from bi-lateral and multilateral institutions and non-concessional financing.

Oil and Petroleum

The recent discovery of significant amounts of oil reserves presents a new ray of hope to Uganda’s long term vision of transforming itself from a low income to a medium income and self-sustaining economy. Experience from some oil producing countries clearly demonstrates the need to have prudent management of the oil revenues through establishment of a strong and appropriate legal and institutional framework for oil revenue management. The NRM Government will ensure that these resources are managed in a manner that facilitates sustainable development and avoids economic distortions. Oil and gas resources will be managed in a manner that is consistent with the macro-economic framework of the country.

Because Oil is a non-renewable resource, the revenues will be only to the primary development sectors of the economy as identified in the National Development Plan (NDP). The key priority sectors will be in energy infrastructure including enhancing electricity generation, and transmission capacity and rural electrification; investment in rail transport and major road infrastructure; establishment of irrigation schemes to ensure availability of water for agricultural production; skills development through Science and Technology including enhancing technical and vocational education. Oil revenues shall not be used for consumption but for durable investments that will benefit the present and future generations. Oil and gas activities will provide opportunities for both forward and backward linkages in the country’s quest for industrialization. In order to achieve the above objectives, we will establish a strong and appropriate legal and fiscal regime to guide overall management of the oil resource.

Education and Skills Development

The introduction of Universal Education at both Primary and Secondary School levels has greatly increased school enrolment in the country. In addition, the liberalization of University and Tertiary education has seen the number of graduates qualifying from higher institutions of learning increasing sharply. However, there have been several significant constraints, pertaining to quality of education at all levels. The high number of unemployed graduates is a clear indication that the education system is not equipping the students with the critical skills required to create employment and job opportunities.

Studies have also consistently shown that UPE is still characterized by high rates of teacher absenteeism, high dropout rates, inability of children to gain an acceptable level standard of reading and writing. I have also established that the education sector is still marred by “ghost” schools, teachers and pupils. Most of these challenges are largely attributed to the weak inspection, supervision and monitoring. I am directing the Ministries of Education and Sports, Finance, Planning and Economic Development and of Public Service to immediately address the issue of “ghosts” in schools. I set up an inquiry into UPE almost three years ago but I am surprised up to now I have not received the report. In order to address the current problem of unemployment, Government is embarking on a comprehensive programme to promote vocational training to ensure skills development and job creation for the youth.

Efficiency of Public Service Delivery

Uganda has in the past undertaken numerous reforms aimed at strengthening the performance of Government. However, amidst all these reforms, delivery of public services is still impeded by various forms of inefficiency through wastage, laxity, and limited responsiveness to critical service needs. The key reasons for poor service delivery include procurement delays, non-compliance with standing regulations, corruption, inefficient resource allocation, inadequate monitoring and evaluation, institutional weaknesses, poor accountability, lack of performance-related remuneration, among others. In order to tackle these challenges, Government is taking the following measures:

i.    Strengthening contract management, with emphasis on the key sectors such as roads, energy, education and health.

ii.    The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act has been amended to address the weaknesses in the previous law. The new law requires all Governments to prepare and link their annual Procurement Plans to the budget and work plans. These plans must be submitted to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and to PDDA. In addition, the approved procurement plan should be displayed on public notice board.

iii.    Joining up Government to work as one based on the cluster approach. For example, a cluster approach to sanitation would clearly define mandates and responsibilities across education, health and water sectors to enhance services and reduce duplication. Monitoring and evaluation should also be undertaken at the cluster level. The Prime Minister should follow up implementation of this approach.

iv.    Enhancement of public servants’ salaries with emphasis on teachers and scientists effective FY 2012/13 to address the issues of low morale and absenteeism. Priority will be given to pay for scientists as they are able to generate products of the brain that will earn more than our traditional colonial exports such as coffee, tobacco, etc.  Recently, our scientists made an electric car, produced animal vaccines, added value to a range of our agricultural products and are able to make machine making machines.

v.    Rotation of senior public sector managers to reduce corruption should be immediately undertaken. The policy will involve rotation of Permanent Secretaries, Undersecretaries, Directors, Accountants and Auditors every 2 years, which will address problems of stagnation and entrenched corruption tendencies.

Fighting corruption

Government remains committed to its political will to stump out corruption especially within the public service. While I salute the 9th Parliament for their efforts in this endeavour, I urge them to take time to verify any claims and work with the investigative institutions towards this end, avoiding undue excitement that might hamper the correct procedures.

As we get into the New Year, I call upon all Ugandans to continue to embrace patriotism and use our freedom of expression responsibly. Divergence of opinion and affiliations of any kind should not lead to intolerance; any legitimate views must be expressed and settled in a civil manner.  Persons engaged in lawless activities shall continue to be handled by the law enforcement bodies within the constitutional provisions.

Let the year 2012 be the year of peace, hard work, accountability and efficient service with integrity.  Government is committed to concretizing the measures already in place to ensure the prosperity of all Ugandans.   We must aim at being a country of producers rather than of consumers.

I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year Two Thousand and Twelve.

31st December 2011            –        Rwakitura

The post President Yoweri Museveni’s 2012 new year message address first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Download a PDF of the Foster wheeler Uganda Refinery study report here. 

The government of Uganda hired Swiss Engineering and Construction company Foster Wheeler Energy Limited (FWEL) in early 2011 to undertake a study of Uganda’s oil potential. The key goal of the assignment was to advise the government on whether to strategise on constructing a refinery or an oil pipeline to export crude oil.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, the study was is in line with the objective four of the National Oil and Gas Policy for Uganda of promoting valuable utilisation of the country’s resources.

The aim of the study, among other things, was to recommend the optimum size, configuration, location, cost and financing options of the refinery, the attendant infrastructure and market for the refined products, as well as preliminary environmental assessment of the possible impacts of refinery development.

Foster Wheeler successfully completed the study and presented a report to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development in August 2010.

It is by now no secret that the study recommended that it would be more viable for Uganda to build an oil refinery, with a 150 000-bl/d refinery facility in Uganda suggested.

The study followed pressure from many oil companies preferring Uganda to use the Kenyan refinery in Mombasa to process the oil from western Uganda.

Other than the technical benefits of avoiding transporting heated crude over such a long distance from western Uganda to Mombasa, the consultants pointed at the direct employment opportunities that will accrue from the refinery, saying it will boost Uganda’s economy by saving over $1bn annually.

The study report weighing the different options as well as the investment opportunities in either options is the key document on Uganda’s oil industry. No wonder the government is selling a copy of the report at more than $150,000 and you have to sign an agreement not to divulge the contents there in.

We bought a copy from a 3^rd party and are availing it to you so you can take more informed decision as regards Uganda oil sector and potential.

Download a PDF of the Foster wheeler Uganda Refinery study report here. 

You can also download

Uganda oil and Gas Laws-a Review

Uganda Production Sharing Agreement with oil companies-part I

Uganda Production Sharing Agreement with oil companies-part 2

The post Fosterwheeler Final report on Uganda oil Industry Refinery first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

A source at statehouse has told this journalist that the president’s office has got the invitation letter today.

 The conference will start with a Youth Conference on December 15^th and the main conference will take place on 16th December 2011.

The conference is an annual event where the kingdom invites policy makers, technocrats, and scholars among others to deliberate on a number of issues affecting the kingdom and the country as a whole.

This year’s Buganda conference will focus on investment opportunities and the challenges facing the institution. It will run under the theme, “Promotion of Investment in Buganda: What are the opportunities and challenges”.

By Christine Kate

The post Buganda invites Museveni to attend Buganda conference first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

“It has taken the world ten years to achieve this level of momentum,” says Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO’s HIV Department.  “There is now a very real possibility of getting ahead of the epidemic. But this can only be achieved by both sustaining and accelerating this momentum over the next decade and beyond.”

Advances in HIV science and programme innovations over the past year add hope for future progress. In times of economic austerity it will be essential to rapidly apply new science, technologies and approaches to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIV programmes in countries.

The report highlights what is already working:

• Improved access to HIV testing services enabled 61% of pregnant women in eastern and southern Africa to receive testing and counseling for HIV – up from 14% in 2005.

• Close to half (48%) of pregnant women in need receive effective medicines to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in 2010.

• Antiretroviral therapy (ART), which not only improves the health and well-being of the infected people but also stops further HIV transmission, is available now for 6.65 million people in low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 47% of the 14.2 million people eligible to receive it.

When people are healthier, they are better able to cope financially. The report acknowledges that investment in HIV services could lead to total gains of up to US$34 billion by 2020 in increased economic activity and productivity, more than offsetting the costs of ART programmes.

“2011 has been a game changing year. With new science, unprecedented political leadership and continued progress in the AIDS response, countries have a window of opportunity to seize this momentum and take their responses to the next level,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. “By investing wisely, countries can increase efficiencies, reduce costs and improve on results. However, gains made to date are being threatened by a decline in resources for AIDS.”

The report also points to what still needs to be done:

• More than half of the people who need antiretroviral therapy in low- and middle-income countries are still unable to access it. Many of them do not even know that they have HIV.

• Despite the growing body of evidence as to what countries need to focus on to make a real impact on their epidemics, some are still not tailoring their programmes for those who are most at risk and in need. In many cases, groups including adolescent girls, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, prisoners and migrants remain unable to access HIV prevention and treatment services.

Worldwide, the vast majority (64%) of people aged 15-24 living with HIV today are female. The rate is even higher in sub-Saharan Africa where girls and young women make up 71% of all young people living with HIV – essentially because prevention strategies are not reaching them.

Key populations are continually marginalized. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, more than 60% of those living with HIV are people who inject drugs. But injecting drug users account for only 22% of those receiving ART.

Although better services to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV have averted some 350 000 new infections among children, some 3.4 million children are living with HIV – many of whom lack HIV treatment. Only about one in four children in need of HIV treatment in low- and middle-income countries received it in 2010, as compared to 1 in 2 adults.

“While there have been gains in treatment, care and support available to adults, we note that progress for children is slower,” says Leila Pakkala, Director of the UNICEF Office in Geneva.  “The coverage of HIV interventions for children remains alarmingly low. Through concerted action and equity-focused strategies, we must make sure that global efforts are working for children as well as adults”.

HIV in regions and countries

In 2010, HIV epidemics and responses in different parts of the world vary with shifting trends, progress rates and outcomes.

Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the biggest overall annual increase–30%–in the number of people accessing ART. Three countries (Botswana, Namibia and Rwanda) have achieved universal coverage (80%) for HIV prevention, treatment and care services. The regional ART coverage rate stood at 39% at the end of 2010. Approximately 50% of pregnant women living with HIV receive treatment to prevent mother-to child transmission of HIV. And 21% of children in need are able to get paediatric HIV treatments. There were 1.9 million new infections in the region, where 22.9 million people are living with HIV. There are some major disparities in progress between different parts of the region. Countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have reached much higher coverage rates for ART (56%) and PMTCT (64%) than countries in Western and Central Africa (30% and 18% respectively).

Asia shows a stabilizing epidemic overall, but new infections are very high in some communities. Of the 4.8 million people living with HIV in Asia, nearly half (49%) are in India. Antiretroviral treatment coverage is increasing with 39% of adults and children in need of HIV treatment having access. Coverage of PMTCT services is relatively low- (16%).

Eastern Europe and Central Asia presents a dramatic growth in HIV, with new infections increasing by 250% in the past decade. Over 90% of these infections occur in just two countries: Russia and Ukraine. The region demonstrates high coverage rates for PMTCT and paediatric HIV treatment (with 78% and 65% coverage rates respectively). However, ART coverage is very low at 23%, particularly among the most affected people- the ones who inject drugs.

Middle East and North Africa records the highest number of HIV infections ever in the region (59 000) in 2010, which represents a 36% increase over the past year. Coverage of HIV services are very low in the region: 10% for ART, 5% for paediatric treatment and 4% for PMTCT.

Latin America and the Caribbean have a stabilizing epidemic with 1.5 million living with HIV in Latin America and 200 000 in the Caribbean. HIV is predominantly among networks of men who have sex with men in Latin America. In the Caribbean though, women are the more affected group accounting for 53% of people living with HIV. The region has ART coverage of 63% for adults and 39% for children.  Coverage for effective PMTCT regimen is relatively high at 74%.

Sustaining the HIV response through the next 10 years

• Countries are already showing marked efficiency gains in HIV programmes: South Africa reduced HIV drug costs by more than 50% over a two-year period by implementing a new tendering strategy for procurement. Uganda saved US$2 million by shifting to simpler paediatric regimens. Such efficiencies are promoted throughTreatment 2.0 – an initiative launched by WHO and UNAIDS in 2010 to promote simpler, cheaper and easier-to-deliver HIV treatment and diagnostic tools, combined with decentralized services that are supported by communities.

• A WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF “Elimination Initiative” aims to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keep their mothers alive.

• WHO is developing new guidance on the strategic use of antiretroviral drugs for both prevention and treatment.

• WHO’s “Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV/AIDS, 2011-2015”, endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May 2011 highlights the importance of continuing efforts to optimize HIV treatment and “combination” prevention – the use of a range of different approaches to reduce people’s risk of infection.

The 2011 “Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Response” is the comprehensive report on both the epidemiology and progress rates in access to HIV services globally and in regions and countries. It has been jointly developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, in collaboration with national and international partners.

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In the past decade, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have experienced historically rapid economic growth and notable social change, yet poverty, hunger, and malnutrition remain widespread problems. With a large proportion of the population living in rural areas and working in agriculture, the solution to these problems largely lies in increasing agricultural productivity. To achieve this African Heads of State and Government committed to “allocate at least ten percent of the national budgetary resources to agriculture and rural development policy implementation within five years” as part of the 2003 Maputo Declaration to accelerate six percent annual agricultural growth.  However, many countries have not put their commitment into practice.

As a first step, African countries need to gear their efforts to increase investment in agriculture.  But it is not sufficient, and right priorities and sequencing are equally important.Agricultural productivity can be achieved in many ways including spreading knowledge of improved practices to smallholders, increasing the use of high-quality seeds and fertilizer, properly irrigating land, developing strong institutions, linking producers to markets, and appropriately addressing disease and conflict. Urgent actions—especially improving capacity and farmer support systems—are needed among all competing tasks.

Research-based evidence is required to tailor these methods to specific needs. But then this evidence must be communicated to users. FARA’s executive director Monty Jones said, “We must go beyond just research to increase productivity. Strengthening extension services and infrastructure, and implementing policies that support agricultural productivity and increase rural incomes will reduce hunger and poverty.”

According to Josué Dioné, director of UNECA’s Food Security and Sustainable Development Division, “Increasing agricultural productivity in Africa calls for broader policy and strategic frameworks that encompass the whole agriculture value chain, including agribusiness and agro-industrial sectors as well as farming.” Sustainably meeting food demands in the future—despite a growing population and diminishing natural resources—will require a greater emphasis on productivity growth.

“Increasing agricultural productivity is not a panacea to all problems, but it can make a significant positive contribution to resolve issues of food insecurity in Africa,” said Shenggen Fan, IFPRI director general.

In order for agricultural productivity to improve the lives of the poor, it needs a supportive environment, particularly increased access to markets.

Markets in particular pose a major challenge to poor people in rural areas. “Improving rural infrastructure to facilitate trade of goods—both at the country level, and across borders—would serve as an opportunity to improve food security in Africa,” said Abebe Haile-Gebriel, director of the AUC’s Rural Economy and Agriculture Division.

Experts at the conference will also examine issues related to:

• science, technology, and innovation in agriculture;
• rural services and access to inputs;
• markets, trade, and regional integration and value chains;
• investments, institutions, and policies for supporting agriculture;
• agriculture, nutrition, and health linkages;
• agriculture and climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• capacity development for agriculture through education and training; and
• the nexus of agriculture and the rural nonfarm sector in growth and poverty reduction

“Innovations in investment, institutions, technology, strategy, and partnerships will enhance productivity and greatly enhance food and nutrition security in Africa,” said Fan.

For more information on the conference: http://addis2011.ifpri.info.

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