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REVIEWS: Inwani Malweyi Africa does not need aid, but the opportunity for fair trade BMJ 2005; 331: 784 [Full text]

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Africa needs AID and Fair Trade

John P Heptonstall   (2 October 2005)

Africa needs AID and Fair Trade 2 October 2005
John P Heptonstall, Director of the Morley Acupuncture Clinic Leeds LS27 8EG Send response to journal: Re: Africa needs AID and Fair Trade	A refreshingly frank response with which I wholeheartedly agree with Inwani, on fair trade, but I also believe that areas of Africa also need properly directed and managed aid - free of the strangleholds the IMF, World Bank and other institutions that distribute our hard-earned taxes place on receivers historically; only then will Africans be able to decide which particular set of social, educational, medical and commercial circumstances best apply to them, and in so doing can find the funds, without strings attached, with which to realise their aspirations for their peoples. The huge amount of wastage on vaccines - billions of dollars spent and 'promised' (for which there is little scientifically managed and controlled follow-up of such interventions in areas of horrendous malnutrition, sanitation which see virtually no medical support; yet so many African children, already at the mercy of endemic diseases, are concurrently at the mercy of greatly increased probabilities of vaccine- induced mortality and morbidity that no one can quantify for those children) - ought to be curtailed and much of that public expenditure refocussed on sanitation, plentiful clean water supplies, food distribution and essential nutrition, essential medicaments, education, and wealth distribution to afford improved industry and commerce through traditional trades, through a well-managed administration that reports regularly and accurately on developments. Many Africans, without 'competing interests', are abundantly qualified to initiate, oversee and manage such projects but, as Inwani implies, initiatives cannot be effected unless Africans themselves are allowed to take control of their destiny; they have the opportunity through a united continental body which should be answerable to the whole UN body to which each African nation already holds responsibilities. Allowing the IMF and World Bank to control African destiny is like allowing the bank manager who makes your loan to set restrictions on your business or household initiatives in the banks' and its associates' interests - their interests are in the main not your interests. It is clear that Africa, therefore under international law Africans have riches beyond their wildest imaginings beneath their feet; rather than allowing successive interventions to result in pillaging their heritage, global community funds must be targetted decently and honestly where it is most needed to save life and build health; first clean water in abundance, sanitation and housing, essential nutritional and medical supplies to deal with endemic diseases followed closely by educational, industrial and commercial initiatives aimed to rapidly rebuild communities - in accordance with tribal and social norms for each area - that are healthy, well-nourished, and educated in subjects and vocations that best suit those communities, their social and emergent commercial initiatives....and unencumbered, free trade. Isn't that what we all expect in the democractic context? Regards John H. Competing interests: None declared