USAID: Remarks by J. Brady Anderson, 10/12/99

This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.

Six Billion World Citizens:

Choosing our Global Future
Remarks by J. Brady Anderson, USAID Administrator
State Department Forum
October 12, 1999

Thank you for that kind introduction. It's a pleasure to be here with such a distinguished group of colleagues. Dr. Sadik, let me particularly thank you for all that you have accomplished. The Cairo Conference -- and its twenty-year program of action -- are enduring monuments to your leadership and vision.
The arrival of the six billionth human being on this earth is a moment of the utmost significance, a moment that is not only symbolic but has tangible meaning to us all. That child's arrival, so close to the dawn of the new millennium, makes this a time for reflection. A time to look ahead to the challenges we face if all the people on this planet are to lead the decent lives that human beings have a right to expect.
During the eight years I lived and worked in Africa, I saw first-hand many of the problems that confront the developing world. Some of my most vivid memories of Africa are of the women, what immense obstacles they faced, and the courage with which they faced them. When I became Ambassador to Tanzania, I was proud of the USAID programs that addressed not only the challenge of economic development and HIV/AIDS, but the special needs of women and girls in health and education.
Today, as USAID Administrator, I have seen our programs on a worldwide basis. I believe our agencies, along with other agencies of our government and other donor nations, can take pride in the work we have done in recent years to address the needs of the developing world.
USAID is the largest bilateral donor of reproductive health assistance to that world. Since the historic Cairo Conference in 1994, we have invested more than $5.5 billion in programs that advance the quality and availability of reproductive health services and that help advance girls' and women's social, legal and economic status.
In our work and that of many others, I believe the spirit of Cairo is very much alive. We see that spirit in the enthusiasm and dedication that governments and NGOs have shown in putting its recommendations to work during the past five years. We have also seen it as you have come back this year to craft future actions needed for the full implementation of those recommendations.
Our agency has also provided leadership in the battle against infectious diseases. Since 1986 we have spent more than a billion dollars for the prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDS in the developing world. We have also spent three billion dollars on child survival programs since 1985. The experts tell us that these programs save more than three million lives each year and have helped drop infant mortality rates in the developing world to their lowest rates ever.
Our government and the American people take pride in these achievements, and yet this Day of Six Billion reminds us how much more remains to be done if we are to advance the spirit of Cairo.
I would like to highlight some of the areas we will focus on in the coming months and years:

First, family planning. More than 150 million married women want to limit the size of their families, but do not have access to contraceptives, and the number of reproductive age couples is expected to increase by at least 15 million each year.
To help meet this challenge, early next year, USAID will launch a new ten-year family planning and reproductive health service delivery program. At a cost of about $500 million, this initiative will provide state-of-the-art services and programs throughout the developing world.

Second, maternal health. Each year, more than 585,000 women die needlessly of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth; 99% of them are in the developing world.
USAID is working on a variety of Safe Motherhood Initiatives, which include expanding access to emergency obstetric care and expanding new programs that improve maternal nutrition.
As you probably know, our agency, working with an international coalition of donor nations and international organizations, recently launched a new, worldwide assault on vitamin A deficiency. We estimate that by 2005 this alliance will save the lives of 650,000 mothers and children each year.

Third, reaching out to youth. Today, more than one billion young men and women aged 15-24 -- the largest youth generation in history -- are in or near their childbearing years. More than 85% of them live in the developing world. Our ability to meet this generation's reproductive needs will not only determine future population levels, but also the quality of life for generations to come.
In response, USAID is supporting a variety of initiatives to reach young people with health education, "youth-friendly" services, and programs to increase education and job opportunities for young people, especially girls.

Fourth, containing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The exploding HIV rates among young people make it even more urgent to address adolescent reproductive health issues. Of the 5.8 million new HIV cases each year -- 11 every minute -- about half occur in persons 15 to 24 years of age.
In July, Vice President Gore announced a new initiative to expand the U.S. government response to the HIV epidemic in Africa and Asia. This initiative creates a unique partnership between USAID, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense. Its goal is not only to increase prevention efforts, but also to provide more care and treatment for all victims of the disease, with particular emphasis on children.

Fifth, increasing girl's education. Of the nearly one billion adults who can't read or write in the developing world, two-thirds are women. Expanded female education is absolutely essential to successful development. Increased schooling has significant impacts on the health of women and their husbands and children. Educated women are more productive, and have fewer, more educated children.
The administration is expanding its support for girls' education in Africa under President Clinton's new Education for Development and Democracy Initiative. This has committed $10 million to support girls' scholarship and mentoring programs, and to make information technology available in 26 countries. This should permit thousands of girls to complete a basic education and move on to university study.

Sixth, protecting the global environment. The combination of expanding population pressures, poverty and economic growth leads to serious environmental consequences. Cities in the developing world, for example, must accommodate up to 2.5 billion more people over the next twenty-five years.
To help meet this challenge, USAID recently unveiled a "Making Cities Work" strategy to integrate urban management approaches into the Agency's development programs. This strategy will help us better meet the enormous needs of this exploding population for adequate water, sanitation, housing, electricity, health care and education.

This is some of the work we are doing to meet the challenges ahead.
Is it enough? No, it is not. Our government spends less than one half of one percent of its budget on foreign assistance. We must do better.
I have been speaking to Members of Congress, reminding them that foreign assistance not only addresses humanitarian concerns abroad but also serves our own national interests at home. It creates jobs and new markets for our goods. It reduces the risk of failed states, terrorism, refugee crises and epidemics. It is an investment in a more peaceful, more prosperous tomorrow for all the world.
In a recent speech, President Clinton stressed the role of foreign assistance in preserving world peace.
"Of course international engagement costs money," he said. "But the costliest peace is cheaper than the cheapest war."
You and I know that is true. We must all raise our voices, in every way we can, to persuade the American people that, in a world of six billion people, foreign assistance is truly one of the best investments we can make.
Let us, in the spirit of Cairo, dedicate ourselves to assuring that the six billionth child -- and billions more children as well - can enjoy a healthy and productive life as a citizen of this world we share.
Thank you very much.

This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.

Last Updated on: July 12, 2001