BMJ  2005;331:46-47 (2 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7507.46

Education and debate

Open letter to Tony Blair on publication of the report of the Commission for Africa

¹ Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Private Bag 360, Blantyre 3, Malawi, Africa lavy@malawi.net

As world leaders prepare to discuss Africa at the G8 summit, a British doctor working in Africa gives his perspective on the continent's health needs and points out some omissions in the recent report

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

I want to congratulate you, Prime Minister Blair, on the hard work that you and your team have put into the Commission for Africa's report.¹ It is an honest document, probing gently but fearlessly into the reasons why so many endeavours in this great continent have failed. You emphasise the responsibility of African leaders to drive development from within Africa but at the same time make clear the responsibility of the richer countries to commit to serious partnership in the process, with the aim being Africa's development rather than their own. I am sure you don't need reminding that these principles will be difficult to put into practice, but I am hopeful that the report will be a template for action.

When I heard about the commission last year I tried to contact you, requesting that at least one of the commissioners be involved in health care. Maybe you were . . . [Full text of this article]

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