Policy Point-Counterpoint: The UN Millennium Development Goals and U.S. Aid to Africa (Report‪)‬

In 2000 member states of the United Nations signed on to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) committing themselves to work together to achieve by 2015 eight objectives, including the halving of "extreme" poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, and ensuring universal primary education around the world. (1) Such commitment requires the United States to increase its foreign aid substantially, particularly to Africa, and President George W. Bush has responded by creating the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, both of which move in that direction. (2) The issue of aid has gained greater publicity from the likes of individual donors like Bill and Melinda Gates who have created their own foundation to focus on global health issues and poverty. The rock star Bono is using his celebrity status to raise money for such causes, (3) and, together with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is encouraging leaders of the richest nations to consider debt relief as a form of aid to impoverished nations. (4) While it is evident that this "charitainment" has some value, (5) the question remains how long will this concern with alleviating world poverty last and will it be any more effective than past aid packages have been? Or will the world fall back once again into "donor fatigue," overwhelmed by the utter immensity of the problem? (6) The biggest challenge to fulfilling the UN MDGs will be in Africa, the continent that has been the most neglected and where the least progress has been evidenced at least by comparison with the rest of the world.