Thu, Aug 08, 2002 page9

• Natural wealth, abject poverty meet in Africa

  • By Mohamed H. A. Hassan
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  Africa is a rich continent -- rich in biodiversity, rich in mineral resources, rich in precious stones. It is also rich in traditional knowledge, especially knowledge associated with indigenous and medicinal plants.

  But Africa is also a poor continent. With roughly 13 percent of the world's population, it enjoys only 1 percent of the world's wealth. An estimated 50 percent of Africa's population lives in poverty and 40 percent suffer from malnutrition and hunger. Two-thirds of Africa's land is degraded and more than half of its population lives without safe drinking water. Malaria threatens many regions and HIV/AIDS has devastated the youth of many African nations, including Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, where an estimated 25 percent of adults are afflicted with this deadly disease.

  Stark disparities exist not only between Africa and the rest of the world, but between Africa and the rest of the developing world. What accounts for this? There are many political, socioeconomic and environmental factors. Centuries of foreign colonialism followed by decades of homegrown authoritarian governments. A chronic lack of transparency in economic transactions often accompanied by corruption. Unsustainable use of natural resources. Marginal participation in the global economy.

  But another, less visible or dramatic factor, is also at work -- Africa's woeful shortcomings in science and technology. By almost any measure, African science and technology is in a dismal state -- in terms of the miniscule numbers and inadequate skills of its research and technical personnel; the poor and neglected quality of the infrastructure; the low level of instruction in primary and secondary schools; the miserly investments in universities and research institutes.

  What should African nations do to advance their scientific and technological capabilities? I suggest a five-step program:

  First, develop, sustain and utilize local capacities and leadership. Developing scientific and technical capacity is less difficult than sustaining it, and sustaining it is less difficult than utilizing it. Yet, the ultimate impact of science and technology depends on all three factors. So African nations must invest in scientific and technological education and training. Each nation must also develop strategies that offer scientists and technologists local employment opportunities. To assure such sustainability, a vibrant educational system and an enduring, yet flexible, job base are needed.

  Second, mobilize the best and most relevant science and technology in Africa and elsewhere to address critical social and economic problems. The food, health and environmental issues faced by people in the least developed countries are of a different dimension (often of a different kind) to issues faced by people in rich countries. Such differences help to explain why science and technology initiatives in developed countries rarely target Africa's most critical problems. If Africa is to use science and technology to tackle its most pressing problems, it must develop its scientific and technical capacities. Otherwise, it will be forever beholden to "second-hand" science that likely will never quite fit the continent's circumstances.

  Of course, African nations should not turn their backs on research from beyond their borders. Indeed, efforts should be made to strengthen poorly funded, yet relevant, programs within UN organizations, and African nations should continue to pursue cooperative projects with constituencies with special ties to the continent. For example, sub-Saharan African scientists should seek to tap distant yet potentially strong ties with expatriate scientists of African origin working in rich countries.

  Third, build the case for supporting indigenous science and technology. This is a critical challenge for African scientists given competing demands on the continent's limited financial resources. African scientists not only have an obligation but a self-serving interest to convince governments of the value of science and the need to support such endeavors. Such efforts must include a willingness to engage the public in discussions on science-based issues, a desire to lobby the government for support, and, perhaps most importantly, a commitment to pursue research that focuses on critical social and economic problems -- that is, agendas that allow scientists to help their nations build stronger and more sustainable societies.

  Fourth, share innovative and successful experiences in the development and application of science and technology. Africa's successful experiences in the application of science and technology for development are all too often drowned out by dismal news across the continent. Identification of genetic molecular markers for improved tea harvests in Kenya, ongoing efforts to examine alternative treatments for river blindness in Uganda, research on sickle-cell anemia in Ghana, and detailed assessments in Madagascar of the effectiveness of medicinal plants in treating diabetes are examples of science-based initiatives that deserve recognition within the larger scientific community and among the public.

  Fifth, strengthen and build African centers of excellence. Despite the dismal condition of most scientific and technological institutions in Africa, pockets of strength exist.

  To address its problems and avoid being marginalized even more, Africa must devise long-term strategies that enable it to sustain economic growth and compete in a world where development is increasingly dominated by scientific knowledge and technical skills. Science and technology cannot save Africa by themselves, but Africa without science and technology cannot be saved.

  Mohamed H. A. Hassan is president of the African Academy of Sciences and executive director of the Third World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy.

  Copyright: Project Syndicate
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