ECOSOC: PROVIDING AFRICA WITH MEDICAL AID

By MexicoAndy Soh, NUS High School

OUTLINE

Background Information Country’s Stance Action Taken Proposed Solutions:

Short Term Long Term

Supporting Countries

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

What is the problem at hand? Diseases (AIDS / HIV / Tuberculosis / Malaria) Inherent Problems (Poverty / Corruption / Poor

education / Poor infrastructure) TRIPs and TRIPs-plus

What are the implications? Monetary aid often embezzled Conditions

don’t improve Pricey drugs Low affordability to African

states

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

What solutions have been attempted? Doha Declaration NGOs providing aid Declaration of Commitment on HIV / AIDS Three-by-Five Initiative New Partnership for Africa’s Development

Have they succeeded or failed? Commendable Effort Not truly effective

COUNTRY’S STANCE

Mexico is economically strong 13th largest economy (GDP) Enjoys many Free-Trade Agreements

Experiences problems Income inequality Extreme poverty in

rural places Experiences similar problems as African

states Underemployment

COUNTRY’S STANCE

Wishes to help African states as a member of the global community

Willing to send aid to Africa

Displeased that aids are embezzled by corrupt government officials

Wishes to reduce chances of corruption taking place in order to facilitate providence of medical aid

ACTION TAKEN

At present: Only emergency aid is provided

Helped USA in Hurricane Katrina crisis Aid extended to mainly South-American

countries No long-term humanitarian aid provided Signed TRIPs and Doha Declaration

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

Short Term Provision of medical supplies

To be distributed to the people through NGOs Not to be passed to the governments for

distribution Provision of medical staff

Provide temporary medical aid Train more medical staff Educate people in proper sanitary methods /

hygiene

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

Long Term Education

Ensures self-sustainability Training of medical staff Public awareness of proper hygiene

Building of medical institutions Enhances the efficiency when providing

medical aid

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

Checks and Balances: Creation of an agency / organization to

oversee all NGOs providing help to Africa Includes all donor countries Prevention of corruption / embezzlement Allow for more focused actions to be taken

Minimal aid in the form of ready cash to be given to African states

[Similar to proposal by Qatar]

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS - PROCESS

Agency: Collects all donations Decide how to spend the money Buys supplies / materials for medical facilities

African State Government: Approve the entry of the NGOs Accept the help the agency provides

NGOs: Distribute the supplies to the people Facilitate the building of the medical facilities

SUPPORTING COUNTRIES

Bosnia Colombia France Georgia Hungary India Israel Italy Japan Peru

Qatar Russia Rwanda South Korea Sudan Sweden Timor Leste United Kingdom United States of

America