January 2, 2013 News

Read recent news stories including the falling HIV rate in Africa, the crisis in the DRC, rebels in the Central African Republic, access to family planning, and Burundi's effort for universal education.

New HIV infections are falling dramatically in Africa
"Africa is pulling out all the stops in its race to curb the AIDS pandemic by 2015, a deadline set by UN member states. From making anti-retroviral drug therapy (ART) readily available to the masses, to increasing consistent, correct condom use and voluntary medical male circumcision, everything has been tried and tested. And these efforts are paying off, according to the latest report of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), entitled Results..."
To read the full article, visit the Africa Renewal site here

DRC crisis in 2013: Seeking civilian, military solutions to end conflict
"As leaders of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) plan to deploy a 4,000-strong "neutral force" to eastern DR Congo to improve security, analysts and stakeholders are concerned about the force's composition and mandate..."
To read the full article, visit the East African site here

Central African Republic rebels halt advance for talks
"South Africa is gravely concerned about the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, said in a statement. President Jacob Zuma deployed Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to assess the situation. 'We demand that the armed groups immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from captured cities and cease any further advances towards the city of Bangui. We call on all parties to refrain from any acts of violence against civilians and to respect human rights,' he said..."
 To read the full article, visit the Business Day site here

Access to family planning in Africa is good but the uptake is slow
"The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched the State of World Population report on Dec 12. The report focused on the provision of family planning as a way to improve the quality of life for those living in developing nations. Dicta Asiimwe spoke with the UNFPA assistant representative in Uganda Wilfred Ochan, about his views on issues surrounding family planning methods, accessibility and use in Africa..."
 To read the full article, visit the East African site here

Burundi's push for universal education
"Offering free education, making it compulsory and supporting it politically has been the winning strategy behind Burundi's successful bid to ensure that virtually all children get a primary school education. In a recent report by the UN Secretary-General, Burundi topped the list of countries having made the greatest strides in education, although it remains among the poorest countries in the world. According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the proportion of children in school increased from 59 per cent in 2005 to 96 per cent in 2011. The fact that Burundi is just emerging from war and that its schools were then often targeted makes the progress even more remarkable. "It is clearly an example of a government taking in charge the question of education, and especially of the universality of education," UNICEF's representative in Burundi, Johannes Wedenig, told Africa Renewal..."
To read the full article, visit the Africa Renewal site here