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Poverty a very big threat,says Diallo
2005-09-25 07:39:59
By Modestus Kessy, PST, Arusha
It is estimated that over 300 million people are expected to live below the poverty line by the year 2020.
Anthony Diallo, the Deputy Minister for Water and Livestock Development, announced this in a speech while opening the three-day Fourth All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture organised by the Tanzania Society for Production (TSAP), in Arusha on Friday.
He said over 180 million people in the region were living below the poverty line and the number is still increasing every year.
The minister said the continent leads the world in major health problems as 80 per cent of the infectious diseases are found in Sub Sahara Africa.
Diallo said HIV/AIDS has worsened the situation; tuberculosis, a disease considered to be for the poor, has re-emerged and is wreaking havoc throughout the region along with infectious diarrhoea, pneumonia and whooping cough, and sleeping sickness.
He said Africa’s natural resources and biological diversity are under fast degradation, threatening economic and physical survival of the people.
’Escalating soil erosion, declining soil fertility, soil pollution by agro-chemicals and desertification are some factors underlying this degradation,’ said the minister.
He said some 500 million hectares of land in Africa have been affected by soil degradation since 1950.
An average of 5.5 million hectares of land resources are lost every year.
Diallo said biological diversity is under threat in Africa unless actions are taken now to protect them.
He said it is obvious the sure solutions to Africa’s problems include availability and use of appropriate technologies.
’The world on the other hand has observed major advances in science, including biotechnology during the last 100 years’, said Diallo.
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