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Making government work can transform Africa
Huffington Post -- As British Prime Minister I trebled aid to Africa. At the 2005 G8 summit we took far-reaching steps in debt cancellation worth more than $100 billion to the poorest African nations. I am immensely proud of what we achieved at Gleneagles: Every day since, the aid given to developing countries has been saving thousands of lives. But I came to recognize that aid alone is not the answer. The truth is that ultimately Africa's future prosperity lies with the decisions of Africa's leaders. We need leadership that is democratic, accountable and transparent. But in addition, we need leadership that is effective, that can shape plans and deliver policies that will make a difference on the ground. The problem for many African countries is not the absence of the right vision or the right intentions. It is the simple lack of capacity to achieve them..

Leaders leave Ivory Coast talks
BBC -- West African leaders have ended their mission to Ivory Coast, having failed to persuade incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to stand down. They had hoped Mr Gbagbo would agree to cede power to Allasane Ouattara, widely considered to be the true winner of November's elections. But Mr Gbagbo has refused, despite the leaders' threat of military action. The dispute has led to widespread unrest in Ivory Coast, with thousands fleeing and scores of people killed. State-controlled TV has indicated that several million African nationals from other countries living in Ivory Coast might be at risk if threats from African countries of military intervention against Mr Gbagbo continue...

Behaviour change: Critical for newborn survival
Gates Foundation -- There’s plenty of evidence that simple and affordable interventions can save newborn lives. So why haven’t we been able to translate this knowledge more effectively into gains in newborn survival? A critical problem is getting people to change their behavior. In order for any community-based health intervention to be successful, families and communities must transition to new behaviors. Is there a science or method for enabling a smooth and sustained transition? Where are we falling short in our current efforts towards improving newborn survival? Are there insights from other disciplines that we can integrate into our current understanding of behavior change? These were some of the questions that besieged my colleagues and me as we designed an essential newborn care intervention package for a rural Indian community in 2004, and continue to challenge us even today...

Progress on a roll in Kenya
CIPE -- If you’re working in global development and you have just been tasked with increasing toilet usage and improving personal hygiene in East or Central African slums, your new best friend might be one who is deeply motivated to advance your cause: the local toilet paper company. Family-owned Chandaria Industries Limited (CIL) is the leading tissue, paper, and hygiene products manufacturer in East and Central Africa, according to the African Business Review. Besides fronting some of the cost of water and sewage infrastructure in the Ruaraka neighborhood of Nairobi where CIL’s headquarters is located, Chandaria Group companies have also fought for provision of decent water and sewage infrastructure for all, with an eye toward market expansion for CIL-produced goods, according to the company website...