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Proactive Disclosure
Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Program
Table of Contents
Overview
CIDA's Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Program supports regional activities within a region that includes 22 countries. These countries are home to more than 425 million people, of whom about 200 million live on less than $1.25 per day.
Individual countries in this region have made some notable progress toward the Millennium Development Goals, but none will meet all of the targets by 2015.
Recent increases in food prices have caused unrest in several countries. The global financial crisis reduced demand for export commodities and lowered wages for miners, farmers, and small-scale enterprises, which has increased unemployment, although an economic recovery began in 2010.
Several countries have made significant progress in governance reform, but some of the others are unable to meet the needs of their citizens. Rates of HIV and tuberculosis infection are spiralling in some countries. Ongoing conflicts in some countries continue to harm the most vulnerable, particularly women, children, and youth.
The three main regional economic communities—the East African Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Southern African Development Community—have recently agreed to form a free trade area. This will significantly improve the income and standard of living of farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs.
Efforts are also being made to collaborate on regional programs that will contain the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS. The prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Southern and Eastern Africa is the highest in the world. It is estimated that almost half of the world's population with HIV/AIDS lives in this region.
Thematic Focus
CIDA's Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Program is closely aligned with the vision of the region's economic communities: to become an integrated region with strong economic growth, more accountable public institutions, healthy citizens, and sustainable natural resources.
The goal of CIDA's Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Program is to continue to build the capacity of regional institutions, organizations, and networks to more effectively stimulate sustainable economic growth and secure a future for children and youth.
Economic growth
CIDA focuses on building an enabling environment for regional economic integration, increased transboundary trade and labour mobility, and private sector growth. This includes harmonizing regulatory frameworks.
- Five countries will harmonize and adopt legal, trade, and regulatory frameworks leading to increased trade, larger markets, and more investment
- Five East African countries, with a combined population of almost 134 million, will significantly increase trade resulting in improved incomes, employment, and opportunities for their people
Children and youth
CIDA focuses on reducing the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis across national borders by mobile populations. CIDA also supports the strengthening of national health systems in order to improve services and reduce child mortality rates.
- Some 100,000 men and women in seven cross-border areas will have increased and equal access to HIV prevention, care, and impact-mitigation services
- Some 10,000 community health workers from 20 countries will be trained each year to help bring health care services closer to the most rural and marginalized communities
Progress on Aid Effectiveness
CIDA's Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Program supports donor coordination and harmonization in the region. CIDA works closely with regional organizations to increase aid effectiveness, managing for results and increasing local ownership.
Achievements 2009-2010
Economic growth
- Supported the negotiation and signature by the East African Community member states of a customs union protocol allowing for duty free access of goods produced within the region
- Supported integration efforts that led to significant increases in intra-regional trade, from US$1.847 million in 2005 to US$2.715 million in 2008
- Contributed to improving the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Eastern Africa by increasing access to a wide range of business support services, resulting in the creation of more than 3,400 jobs by almost 400 enterprises and the reporting of an increase in profits by 66 percent for businesses receiving support, despite the global economic context
Children and youth
- Expanded innovative health training programs in the region, including the African Medical and Research Foundation eLearning Virtual Nursing School, which graduated 90 registered community health nurses and helped 60 nurses upgrade their skills and pass exams
- Improved the skills of 700 health workers in 18 countries, particularly in HIV/AIDS counselling, community care and treatment, as well as in other AIDS-related areas
