FACT SHEET: Investing in African Trade for our Common Future

Increased regional and international trade has been one of the drivers of Africa’s extraordinary average annual GDP growth rate of 5.1 percent over the last decade.  President Obama and his Administration are committed to sustaining and accelerating this growth through a comprehensive strategy to realize the potential of a renewed African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).  This strategy includes the following key elements:

• Renew and Update AGOA to Increase Market Access Opportunities for Africa
• Find Synergies through Aligning Assistance
• Improve Infrastructure to Enhance Competitiveness
• Strengthen Trade Capacity Building, Value Added Production, and Supply Chains to Increase AGOA Utilization
• Create New Markets for Africa

Duty free access to the U.S. market under AGOA over the last 14 years has contributed to Africa’s economic success, as exports from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States more than doubled and non-oil / non-mineral exports have increased fourfold.  The application of AGOA’s eligibility criteria and engagement with African governments under the President’s Trade Africa initiative have reinforced broader U.S. and African efforts to promote good governance and improve the business environment in a number of countries, helping develop their competitiveness as an investment destination.  To fully realize AGOA’s promise the Administration is committed to renewing and improving AGOA, to further engaging on trade and investment facilitating policies, and to continuing and expanding the broad range of trade capacity building support it provides.

Renew and Update AGOA to Increase Market Access Opportunities for Africa

The Administration is committed to working with Congress to renew and update AGOA to increase market access opportunities for Africa, encourage greater U.S. investment on the continent, and support broad-based growth and two-way trade.

Approve a Long Term Extension of AGOA including “Third Country Fabric:” A long-term extension of AGOA will offer greater certainty in the investment climate, help incentivize such investments and allow lesser-developed African beneficiaries to continue to develop the capacity to trade and take advantage of AGOA preferences.

Expand AGOA’s product coverage:  AGOA already provides duty-free access for 97.5 percent of all tariff lines for virtually all AGOA beneficiaries.  However, there are 316 tariff lines – most covering agricultural products – that are not currently included.  While these products have historically been import sensitive, it is important to examine whether any products can now be added to AGOA.

Improve Rules of Origin: AGOA offers some of the most flexible rules of origin of any U.S. trade arrangement.  In an effort to update the rules, however, the Administration is working to identify ways to provide greater flexibility, encourage regional integration and the development of regional value chains, and incentivize more U.S.-Africa trade.

Update Eligibility Criteria and Review Processes: AGOA’s eligibility criteria and review processes have not been updated since its launch, notwithstanding changes in African and global trade practices over the last 14 years.  The Administration is working to identify ways that the criteria can be updated to address current challenges and to improve the effectiveness of the review processes.

Find Synergies through Aligning Assistance

President Obama has issued a Presidential Memorandum tasking agencies to recommend strategies to coordinate their trade and investment capacity building activities both across the U.S. Government and with a range of partners:  African governments, the private sector, regional economic communities, and international partners such as the African Development Bank.  The Steering Group will explore options such as supporting African efforts to develop country- and region-specific AGOA export strategies, developing compacts identifying complementary strategies and investments to be made by the AGOA countries, and partnering with companies and trade associations to develop private sector sourcing initiatives.

Improve Infrastructure to Enhance Competitiveness

The United States will link AGOA to a web of initiatives to help remove infrastructure-related constraints, which a number of recent studies identified as one of the major impediments to developing trade in Africa and improving competitiveness.

Address Hard Infrastructure Constraints: Inadequate infrastructure, particularly in the energy and transportation sectors, impedes the ability of African firms to participate more fully in regional and global trade and hinders international investment in Africa. 

• In June 2013, President Obama launched Power Africa, an innovative private sector-led initiative aimed at doubling electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by addressing critical constraints to energy sector development.  Power Africa aims to add more than 10,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity in six initial focus countries, making electricity available to an additional 20 million households and commercial entities.
• The U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance (ACEF) initiative is focused on supporting the deployment of renewable energy and related infrastructure that is a critical complement to more traditional sources of energy in Africa.  ACEF aligns the U.S. Trade and Development Agency’s (USTDA) project planning expertise and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation’s (OPIC) financing and risk mitigation tools  to support private sector investment and increase support for U.S. businesses and exports in sub-Saharan Africa’s clean energy sector.  Phase one of the program is on track to catalyze over $1 billion of investment in projects across Africa.
• USTDA is using its project planning and partnership building tools, including feasibility studies, technical assistance and reverse trade missions, to develop energy, transportation and telecommunications infrastructure that can help increase trade capacity and reduce the costs of doing business.
• The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has provided over $3 billion for compacts that support trade, principally through infrastructure, such as roads, ports, and airports, but also for improving the productivity of export-oriented industries, including agriculture, that benefit small and medium enterprises.  Going forward, MCC will intensify its analysis of trade competitiveness, including competitiveness of AGOA product lines, for AGOA beneficiaries.  MCC will also explore opportunities for regional integration that facilitate trade and address trade barriers through policy and institutional reform.
• Through its engagement with TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is addressing port infrastructure issues at the key ports of Mombasa, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  The United States will build on this work, including by improving trade and transport efficiency along the Northern and Central Corridors.
• The United States will leverage its relationships with the multilateral development banks, particularly the African Development Bank and the World Bank, as well as with other donor countries, to promote additional infrastructure investment, including through regional projects, that will help African countries improve their competitiveness and increase utilization of AGOA.

Improve Soft Infrastructure: Inefficiency and corruption at the border are among the most significant obstacles to trade in Africa.  These problems are particularly acute for landlocked countries.

• The United States will provide assistance for reforms envisioned by the recently-concluded World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement to lower the cost of doing business in Africa.  Such reforms will increase customs efficiency and ease access to new export opportunities through measures like transparency in customs practices, on-line publishing of customs information, reduction of documentary requirements, and pre-arrival processing of documents.  This translates to reduced delays for traders at the border, decreased corruption, and more trade opportunities.
• Through TMEA, the United States will continue to support efforts to reduce transit times along transportation corridors in the East African Community (EAC), including through the migration of countries to electronic platforms and, ultimately, “single window systems” as well as the establishment of “one-stop-border-posts,” providing a single entry/departure processing procedure.
• Through USAID, the United States will continue to support the movement of the African countries towards computerized and common regional customs platforms, like the “Revenue Authorities Digital Data Exchange 2.0” (RADDEx 2.0) platform in the EAC.  USAID also will continue to support African public and private sector partners efforts to shine a light on, and address, obstacles to transport and trade, including making available time and cost to trade data across Africa.  This includes continued support for the “Borderless Alliance” in West Africa.
• Through USAID and the Department of Transportation, the United States will provide technical assistance in upgrading and harmonizing regulations and standards across transportation sectors, which will facilitate the flow of goods, enhance safety, and promote more efficient use of transportation resources.

Strengthen Trade Capacity Building, Value Added Production, And Supply Chains to Improve AGOA Utilization

In many cases, African producers have difficulty exporting to the United States under AGOA because they cannot meet U.S. sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements or quality and marketing standards, or because they lack other technical skills.  The United States will offer a range of trade capacity building assistance to help address these constraints and to target priority supply chains for export.

Build Capacity to Meet SPS Measures: Through USAID and USDA, the United States is helping African governments develop institutional capacity to operate science-based animal and plant health and food safety systems, in harmony with international standards.  The United States is launching a new five-year SPS policy and regulatory program supporting regional economic communities and the African Union’s Year of Agriculture.  This program will serve to increase laboratory capacity, implement aflatoxin controls, and improve regulatory policies and structures in sub-Saharan Africa, in concert with programs under the Feed the Future and Trade Africa initiatives as well as the Doing Business in Africa Campaign.

Build Capacity to Meet Quality and Marketing Standards: The United States will expand its Standards Alliance initiative, a public-private partnership between USAID and the American National Standards Institute, to help African producers meet U.S. quality standards and marketing requirements.  Work is currently underway with the EAC, under the Trade Africa umbrella, and with the Southern Africa Development Community.  USTDA will also partner with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association on the U.S.-Africa Energy Sector Standards Cooperation Program, a series of technical workshops to facilitate greater engagement between the public and private sector in the United States and sub-Saharan African countries to increase cooperation on standards and regulations for grid and off-grid energy infrastructure.

Invest in Skills Building: The United States will leverage initiatives and projects such as the Young African Leaders Initiative, the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, Higher Education for Development, and USDA’s Cochran and Borlaug Fellowship programs, as well as the expertise of agencies like the Small Business Administration, to deliver targeted skills training designed to expand the capacity of African entrepreneurs to trade and increase productivity in key sectors, including through e-learning. 

Advance Policies that Promote Economic Growth: Working bilaterally and through international financial institutions, the United States will amplify efforts to encourage domestic policies that promote economic growth.  Reforms to promote transparency, public financial management, fair government procurement and efforts to enhance the regulatory environment will help African countries increase predictability for domestic and foreign investment and improve their ability to trade.

Create New Markets for Africa

Promote Regional Integration: Deepening regional integration is key to improving Africa’s competitiveness and increasing sourcing from Africa.  The United States is working to promote regional integration through a number of policies and programs.  For example, through the Department of the Treasury, the United States is working with the EAC to implement an integrated payment system that will facilitate cross-border movement of goods, services, and capital.  In addition, under Trade Africa, the United States is exploring a regional investment agreement with the EAC.  This agreement will advance common practices and an improved investment climate across the entire EAC region.  As the initial EAC-focused Trade Africa work progresses, we will turn to expanding the initiative over time within sub-Saharan Africa.

Transform Existing “Trade Hubs” into “U.S.-African Trade and Investment Hubs:” The United States will upgrade the existing African Trade Hubs to “U.S.-African Trade and Investment Hubs” that will better support African exports to the United States, as well as create new opportunities for U.S. investment in and exports to Africa.

Increase U.S. Government Commercial Presence in Africa:  The U.S. Department of Commerce is doubling its presence in Africa, and USTDA and OPIC are posting additional personnel to help facilitate increased trade and investment with Africa.

Bring the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) to North and Sub-Saharan Africa: The GES is a premier platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses, build new networks, and learn about the latest developments in their field.   Morocco will host GES in November.  A sub-Saharan African country will do so for the first time in 2015.

FACT SHEET: U.S.-African Cooperation on Food Security

Since coming into office in the midst of a global financial and food crisis, President Obama has made food security a foreign policy priority. Building on commitments first made by African leaders at the African Union (AU) Summit in Maputo in 2003, the President led the G-8 in 2009 in launching a global food security initiative in L’Aquila, Italy and then shortly after launched Feed the Future which invests assistance in countries’ national food security plans, promotes agricultural research and innovation, and helps build the capacity of our partners.  Three years later, when he hosted the 2012 G-8 at Camp David, the President joined with the G-8 and African Leaders, the African Union Commission (AUC) and private industry to launch the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition with a goal to lift 50 million people out of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2022.  

This year, the AU revisited its 2003 commitments and declared 2014 the Year of Agriculture and Food Security.   At the AU Summit in Malabo in June, African leaders agreed to accelerate agricultural growth as the primary strategy to end poverty in Africa, to reduce vulnerability to climate and weather related risk, to mainstream resilience and risk management, and to end hunger in Africa by 2025 through commitments that include reducing childhood stunting.  At the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit the AUC shared its plans for a Roadmap to implement the Malabo Declaration’s commitments, including actions to build resilience to climate and weather-related risks through Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA).  The United States affirmed our support and offered continued technical assistance to incorporate CSA into national and regional plans and use climate data, modeling and training to assist countries in adopting CSA approaches.  The United States further commits to provide technical support to strengthen the AU Commission’s and national efforts to economically empower women in agriculture.  Further, in support of our shared food security agenda this week the United States has:

• Announced – in partnership with the AUC – more than $10 billion in planned socially responsible private sector investments through the New Alliance.
• Committed to train young people with 1,300 fellowships and long-term training opportunities through a range of Feed the Future Programs. 
• Sierra Leone, the Ghana Open Data Initiative, IBM, and Kellogg Company announced they would join the United States as partners in the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative.  GODAN supports global efforts to make agricultural and nutritional data available and accessible for unrestricted use worldwide; and
• Invested $1 million in the World Bank’s Agricultural Insurance Development Program (AIDP).  This grant will provide analysis and technical assistance to countries to design and implement sustainable, cost-effective public private partnerships in agricultural insurance in order to increase the financial resilience of rural households. 

Additionally, together with African leaders, the United States has played a central role in the foundation of and has expressed an intention to join the global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (ACSA) slated for launch at the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Summit in New York in September 2014.  This global alliance will embrace the fundamental aspirations of climate-smart agriculture: sustainably improving productivity, building resilience, and reducing and removing greenhouse gases.

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition  expands private sector investment and public-private partnerships for smallholder farming to reduce poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. Under the New Alliance, international and local private sector partners outline their intentions to invest responsibly in New Alliance countries' agriculture sectors; member countries commit to undertake policy actions to attract private investment; and G-7 and other donors make funding commitments. Today, the 2013-2014 Progress Report for the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition will be released in conjunction with a new website (www.new-alliance.org). In its first two years, the New Alliance has expanded to include 10 African countries and 180 companies (the majority of which are African).  In addition more than $10 billion in socially responsible private sector commitments, the New Alliance has resulted in:

• $1.1 billion in private commitments realized;
• 3 million smallholders reached through services, training, sourcing or production contracts;
• Nearly 37,000 jobs created; and 
• Country-led and country-right reforms:  in Ethiopia, private sector investment has encouraged the government to liberalize its seed sector; Nigeria has reformed an inefficient fertilizer sector; Tanzania has removed its export ban; Burkina Faso passed two significant laws governing public-private partnership; and Rwanda has strengthened its focus on addressing malnutrition and supporting farmer cooperatives.

Feed the Future

Feed the Future is the President’s global hunger and food security initiative.  With a focus on smallholder farmers and building on countries comprehensive food security plans, Feed the Future is driven by country-led priorities and rooted in partnership with governments, other donor organizations, the private sector, and civil society to enable long-term success.   particularly women, and building on the standard set by the AU when its members committed to develop comprehensive food security plans, Feed the Future is driven by country-led priorities and rooted in partnership with governments, other donor organizations, the private sector, and civil society to enable long-term success.   Feed the Future is also investing in support of a goal to reduce the prevalence of poverty and stunting in the areas where it works by twenty percent.  In June, Feed the Future released its 2014 Progress Report (www.feedthefuture.gov/progress).  In 12 African countries (of 19 worldwide), Feed the Future has:

• Helped nearly 1.8 million farmers in Africa (7 million globally) apply new technologies such as high-yielding seed varieties on about 3.7 million acres of land;
• Reached 9.4 million children on the continent (12.5 million globally) with improved nutrition to ensure they have food to fuel their minds and bodies, with a particular focus on the critical 1,000 day window from pregnancy to age two;
• More than doubled United States agricultural research investments in five years: deployed more than 34 drought-tolerant maize varieties and investing in 24 Feed the Future Innovation Labs, including the newest lab at Purdue University, which is focused on reducing food waste and post-harvest loss; and 
• Announced a new commitment to provide technical support to strengthen the AU Commission’s and country governments’ efforts to economically empower women in agriculture.  In 2013 alone, Feed the Future, the President’s global hunger and food security initiative, helped nearly 1.8 million farmers in Africa (more than 700,000 of them women) apply new practices and technologies that have the potential to lift them out of poverty. 

A Whole of Government Approach

Led for the United States by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Feed the Future and the New Alliance draw on the agricultural, trade, investment, development and policy resources and expertise of 10 federal agencies:

• The U.S. African Development Foundation’s food security programs have helped create more than $21 million in new economic activities that directly benefitted more than 125,000 smallholders and their families;
• More than 1,200 Peace Corps Volunteers are working to help people make sustainable changes in how they cultivate their food, address water shortages and feed their families;
• USDA launched the U.S. Government’s open agriculture data initiative, assessed or improved statistical systems in six Feed the Future focus countries, and trained more than 145,000 food producers in improved agricultural practices, including food safety.
• The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has moved forward on Compacts in Feed the Future focus countries Mozambique, Tanzania and Senegal, investing in agriculture, land tenure and roads, and is developing a Compact with Liberia. MCC also works in Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger—New Alliance countries--where investments include irrigation, land tenure and roads.  In Morocco, the five-year MCC compact concluded in September 2013. Programs in key sectors such as agriculture and fisheries were hailed for their success in reducing poverty while assuring greater food security in Morocco.
• The Treasury Department coordinates the United States government support for the World Bank’s Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP).  GAFSP issued an additional $255 million in grants and invested approximately $50 million in small- and medium-sized agribusinesses in 2013, bringing its total multilateral funding to $961 million in private and public investments and advisory services in 31 countries. 
• The Department of State, the Office of the United States Trade Representative and others helped foster major policy changes that support global and local food security goals. The U.S. Department of State established Feed the Future Strategic Partnerships with Brazil, India, and South Africa.  Under Strategic Partnerships, the United States and Strategic Partner countries develop and implement joint food and nutrition security-related projects in FTF countries; strengthen historical U.S. linkages with emerging market countries, particularly in multilateral and regional fora; and help improve Strategic Partners’ own overseas development assistance projects. 

FACT SHEET: U.S.–African Cooperation on Global Health

The United States has for decades invested in the health of Africa’s people, helped train its health and science professionals, and partnered with Africa to meet shared challenges.  As the world’s largest donor to global health, we are committed to working with African governments to improve the health of their citizens, and to reaching our goals of achieving an AIDS-free generation, ending preventable child and maternal deaths, enhancing global health security by preventing, detecting and responding to infectious disease threats, and supporting countries as they invest in the health of their own citizens.  

The United States welcomes the incredible gains in health that Africa has achieved over the past 20 years:  HIV occurrence has been cut in half; tuberculosis (TB) and malaria deaths have been reduced by 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively; 50 percent fewer women die giving birth; and 50 million children’s lives have been saved due to better access to primary health care, better drug supply chains and access to skilled health care workers.  In particular, we welcome the fact that African governments continue to increase their own domestic investments in public health, and to work with us and other partners to build the sustainable and effective public health systems that can serve the interests of their people and lay the foundation for strong and inclusive economic growth.

However, there is still more to be done.  In 2013, 1.9 million people were newly infected with HIV, 207 million were diagnosed with malaria, and one-in-ten children did not reach their fifth birthday.  Between two to three million children die annually from vaccine preventable diseases.  Women suffer disproportionally from inadequate health system capacity; 25 percent of women of reproductive age who are married or in a union have an unmet need for family planning and 287,000 women die during childbirth.  Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are also on the rise, and heart disease is the single largest killer in Africa. 

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa underscores the need to build Africa’s capacity to prevent the emergence of global health threats, to detect threats early, and to respond rapidly and effectively.  With our partners in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the World Health Organization and countries all over the world, the United States is responding rapidly and effectively.  We are sending additional experts from our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to augment the team that has been on the ground since March, and will work with partners to control the outbreak even as we increase assistance to those in need now.  As the crisis subsides, the United States will host our international global health and regional partners to consider how we can together “build back” and speed up the recovery of these countries’ public health sectors.

Progress Towards an AIDS-Free Generation

The goal of achieving an AIDS-free generation is a shared responsibility and the United States has an unwavering commitment to work with African countries to reach this goal.  The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush and strengthened by President Obama, is America’s commitment to fighting the global HIV and AIDS epidemic.  Through shared responsibility and smart investments, PEPFAR is saving lives, building more secure families, and helping to stabilize fragile nations. 

Investments in PEPFAR have saved millions of lives, including by supporting antiretroviral treatment for 6.7 million people (up from 1.7 million in 2008), and providing interventions to 1.5 million women to prevent mother-to-child transmission over the past two years.  Our latest results show continued progress.  In fiscal year 2013 alone, PEPFAR supported HIV testing and counseling for more than 12.8 million pregnant women, which resulted in 95 percent of these babies being born HIV-free; supported 17 million people with care and support, including more than 5 million orphans and vulnerable children; and provided HIV testing and counseling for more than 57.7 million people.  PEPFAR also reached the President’s 2011 World AIDS Day goal of supporting 4.7 million men with voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention by the end of 2013 and saw the birth of the one-millionth baby born free of HIV.

In partnership with African governments and the private sector, PEPFAR is accelerating chidren's HIV/AIDS treatment to double the total number of children receiving antiretroviral therapy in Africa.

Improving Global Health and Child Survival

From 1990-2012 deaths of children under 5 dropped from 12.6 million to 6.6 million worldwide.  In June 2012, the Governments of Ethiopia, India, and the United States, hosted a forum called Child Survival Call to Action, in collaboration with UNICEF, to bring together public and private constituencies in support of a global goal to end preventable child deaths by 2035 and pioneer new approaches to accelerate progress on maternal-child health.  To date, 13 African countries have launched sharpened national strategies, set national targets, and developed scorecards to track progress.  They have identified those areas where the highest rates of child and maternal deaths occur, and are reducing those rates.  In the last two years alone, 24 priority countries – of which 16 are in Africa – have achieved an eight percent reduction in under-five mortality, saving 500,000 lives.  Finally, in the last decade, malaria mortality rates in African children have been reduced by an estimated 54 percent, saving 3.3 million lives over the last decade through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and partnerships with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other partners.  In April 2014, African Ministers of Health committed to ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths in Africa at the first Joint African Union (AU)/WHO Conference of Ministers of Health. 

Together with our partners, United States is working to reduce preventable child deaths to fewer than 20 per 1,000 live births and maternal deaths to fewer than 50 per 100,000 live births by 2035.  Achieving these goals will save an additional 5 million children’s lives each year and decrease the number of women who die from complications during pregnancy by 75 percent annually.  In June 2014, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Governments of Ethiopia and India, in collaboration with UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners, came together for a high-level forum: Acting on the Call: Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths to celebrate the progress, assess the challenges that remain and identify the steps needed to drive momentum around concrete action.  The Acting on the Call Report outlined U.S. commitments and needed action in 16 countries in Africa.  The U.S. government committed to re-align resources behind strategies that will save up to half a million children in the next three years.  In addition, USAID announced more than $600 million in new partnerships and awards with more than 26 partners.  Going forward, the United States will join with our African allies to bring in new partners, resources, and financing towards saving the lives of 8 million children and 350,000 mothers by 2020.

Significant reductions in the burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa resulted in a decrease in malaria mortality by one third since 2000. USG investments through PMI and contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, combined with host country government investments and those of other development partners, have resulted in 3.3 million lives saved through scale-up of malaria control interventions over the last decade.

Accelerating Action to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Infectious Diseases

On February 13, 29 nations, the European Union, World Health Organization, Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, launched the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).  The GHSA is an effort to accelerate measureable progress over the next five years towards a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats, whether natural, intentional or accidental in origin.  The GHSA directly supports the WHO International Health Regulations, the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway, and other relevant global health security frameworks.  On September 26, 2014, the U.S. will host a White House event to bring together nations from around the world that can make a concrete, new commitment to accelerate action on a national, regional or global basis. 

The U.S. has committed to working with at least 30 partner countries to advance global health security over the next 5 years toward 12 specific milestones.  As one example of how the U.S. will fulfill this commitment, the U.S. government and partner countries are establishing emergency operations centers, building information systems, and strengthening laboratory security to mitigate biological threats and build partner capacity.  The United States, in partnership with the African Union, will support efforts to establish an African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which will build on longstanding U.S. support for an increasingly capable health and science sector in Africa. 

A Comprehensive Commitment – Other Global Health Activities

Vaccines: The U.S. government continues to commit to combat infectious diseases, and invest in vaccine-preventable diseases.  Estimated measles deaths decreased by 88 percent between 2000 and 2012.  The U.S. government contributed to the development of the MenAfriVac vaccine for meningitis – and more than 100 million people have been vaccinated in 10 African countries. In line with our longstanding and effective partnership with the GAVI Alliance, the U.S. government has provided GAVI with $1.2 billion to date.  From 2001-2013, the GAVI Alliance committed $5.3 billion to deliver life-saving vaccines in Africa.  In order to accelerate progress towards ending preventable child and maternal deaths by 2035, the Obama Administration has requested an increase in its annual contribution to $200 million per year.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): The NCD burden will increase in Africa by approximately 30 percent in the next 10 years, and NCDs are estimated to lead all causes of death by 2030.  The U.S. government collaborates with governments across Africa to address NCDs through a number of initiatives, including:  the Collaborating Center for Physical Activity and Health; the Field Epidemiology Training Program; the Global Tobacco Surveillance System; Collaborative Hubs for International Research on Mental Health; Cancer Centers to develop cancer research capacity; the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Initiative; and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.  Through the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Peaceful Uses Initiative, the United States Government has contributed to efforts to expand radiotherapy and radiopharmacy capacities at cancer treatment centers in Africa.  The United States will be supporting the delivery of 1 billion treatments for NTDs in Africa by the end of 2015 through the NTD Program, which mobilizes drug donations from the pharmaceutical sector.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): The United States will be supporting the delivery of 1 billion treatments for NTDs in Africa by the end of 2015 through the NTD Program, which mobilizes drug donations from the pharmaceutical sector.

Tuberculosis Detection and Treatment: African institutions have contributed important new information on to how to diagnose and treat patients with Tuberculosis, contributing to the development and testing of a novel point-of-care diagnostic tool for TB that allows health care workers to diagnose tuberculosis and detect resistance within ninety minutes (Xpert MTB/RIF).  The new test has the potential to transform TB diagnosis and targeted treatment by enabling patients to begin treatment on the same day, rather than await lengthy laboratory results, or undergo failed therapy before drug resistance is diagnosed.  The new product has been rolled out to over two dozen countries since 2011.  If an improved rapid test were deployed globally, it is estimated that 15 million TB-related deaths would be averted by 2050. 

Meningitis A Prevention: NIH and multiple partners developed an affordable, long-lasting vaccine with the potential to eliminate epidemic meningitis from sub-Saharan Africa.  Private and public sector organizations involved included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, the Serum Institute of India Ltd, the World Health Organization, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, NIH and FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.  The first clinical trial was launched in 2005, carried out with partner institutions in Gambia, Ghana, Mali and Senegal.  Six months after the introduction of the vaccine in early 2011, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger report the lowest number of confirmed meningitis A cases recorded during an epidemic season.  The vaccine is considered one of the early successes of the public-private partnership model for neglected disease product development

Innovations in Medical Education: A meaningful component of NIH cooperation with Africa is the Medical and Nursing Education Partnership Initiative – an NIH partnership with the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Resources Services Administration to support innovative approaches to medical and nursing education in Sub-Saharan Africa and complementing research enterprises.  The goal is to create long-term capacity at Africa’s educational institutions to produce the quantity and quality of health care workers and scientists, broadening training to cover not only HIV, but maternal can child health, non-communicable diseases and other national priorities.  Key attributes include community-based curricula development; creation of rural teaching sites; synergies between research pursuits and medical education; and removal of silos between HIV and non-HIV.

Applying Genomics Research to Disease Burdens of Africa: The Human Heredity and Health in Africa project, or H3Africa, developed in partnership with the Welcome Trust and the African Society for Human Genetics, is helping African scientists harness the capabilities of genomics to deepen studies of diseases that are important to Africa, as well as the rest of the globe.  African scientists are studying the genetic and environmental contributors to non-communicable and communicable diseases, how the human microbiome contributes to health and disease, Mendelian diseases on the continent, and pharmacogenomics studies focused on Africans.  H3Africa also supports training and the study of societal implications of genomics.  The initiative is advancing new insights into the underlying genetics of TB and malaria susceptibility, among other critical questions.

Institutional Capacity Building: Through partnerships with African governments and institutions, NIH commitments to strengthen biomedical research capacity has created a growing cadre of skilled local professionals capable of adapting new interventions into control programs, and extending the impact of proven strategies.  Importantly, this support has created incentives to remain in-country.  Developing the scientific talent base has sped the clinical development and delivery of new preventive strategies, therapeutics and diagnostics for endemic health problems, as noted above.  It has enabled local communities to achieve better health outcomes, improve service delivery and develop more cost effective systems through locally-led research.  Moreover, NIH trained professionals now serve as sentinels for new health problems as they arise, representing a front line in the identification and control of emerging diseases. 

Weekly Address: It's Time for Congress to Help the Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President discussed the new monthly jobs report and the fact that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in July for the sixth straight month – the longest streak since 1997. To ensure this momentum can be sustained, the President is pressing Congress to act to create jobs and expand opportunity from raising the minimum wage, to helping people pay back their student loans, to fair pay and paid leave. These are steps that would continue to make things better for the middle class, which has always been his priority. But Republicans in Congress have repeatedly blocked these important measures. As Congress is about to go on vacation, the President encouraged Americans to reach out to their elected officials and let them know that they must pass these measures when Congress returns to session. And in their absence, the President will continue to do everything he can, working with all stakeholders who are willing, to create jobs, strengthen our economy and expand opportunity for all Americans.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, August 2, 2014. 

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
August 2, 2014

Hi, everybody.  My top priority as President is doing everything I can to create more jobs and more opportunities for hardworking families to get ahead. 

On Friday, we learned that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in July.  That’s on top of about 300,000 new jobs in June.  We’re now in a six-month streak with at least 200,000 new jobs each month.  That hasn’t happened since 1997.  All told, our businesses have created 9.9 million jobs over the past 53 months.  That’s the longest streak of private-sector job creation in our history. 

Because of you – because of your hard work and determination – America has recovered faster and come farther than almost any other advanced country on Earth.  The economy is clearly getting stronger.  Things are clearly getting better.  And the decisions we make now can keep things moving in that direction. 

That’s what’s at stake right now.  Making sure our economy works for every working American.  Making sure that people who work hard can get ahead.  That’s why I’ve been pushing for common-sense ideas like rebuilding our infrastructure in a way that supports millions of good jobs and helps our businesses compete.  Raising the minimum wage.  Making it easier for working folks to pay off their student loans.  That’s why I’ve been pushing for fair pay and paid leave. 

These policies have two things in common.  All of them would help working families feel more stable and secure.  And all of them have been blocked or ignored by Republicans in Congress.

That’s why my administration keeps taking what actions we can on our own to help working families – because Congress is doing so little for working families.  House Republicans actually got together this week and voted to sue me for taking actions on my own.  And then they left town for the month without settling a bunch of unfinished business that matters to working families across America.

The bottom line is this – we’ve come a long way these past five and a half years.  Our challenges are nowhere near as daunting as they were back then.  But imagine how much farther along our economy would be – how much stronger our country would be – if Congress would do its job. 

I’ll never stop trying to work with both parties to get things moving faster for the middle class.  And I could use your help.  If you see your Member of Congress around home this month, tell him or her what’s on your mind.  Ask them why they haven’t passed bills to raise the minimum wage or help with student loans or enact fair pay for women.

And when they return from vacation next month, instead of trying to pass partisan bills on party lines, hopefully we can come together with the sense of common purpose that you expect.  And in the meantime, I will never stop doing whatever I can, whenever I can, not only to make sure that our economy succeeds, but that people like you succeed. 

Thanks, and have a great weekend.