Madagascar
USAID's Strategy in Madagascar
The Government of Madagascar (GOM), led by President Marc
Ravalomanana, is engaged in an ambitious effort to address the
country’s immense development challenges. The GOM now requires
public disclosure of assets by state officials. With donor
support, it will have invested over $1 billion in roads and
other transportation infrastructure by 2006. Recognizing the
importance of its unique environment to the long-term health
of the Malagasy economy and the welfare of its people, the GOM
has dramatically increased planned protected areas from 1.7
million to 6 million hectares. It is also committed to
preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and strengthening health
care at the community level. These steps have resulted in the
country being the first awarded funding under President Bush’s
Millennium Challenge Account. USAID’s programs focus on
governance, economic growth, environmental protection, and
health.
STRENGTHENING CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT
INSTITUTIONS
Installed in 2002, the Ravalomanana government maintains
considerable public support for its ambitious programs.
However, there is the risk that a weak and poorly equipped
bureaucracy will be unable to accomplish many of the planned
reforms and results. USAID is committed to helping ensure this
does not happen. USAID's democracy and governance program is
working across sectors to deepen and strengthen civil society,
increase the flow of information to citizens and local
leaders, and strengthen the government's ability to respond to
citizens' demands. In addition, USAID is implementing
initiatives in the areas of anti-corruption, women’s legal
rights, education, and information and communications
technologies development in Madagascar. USAID support was
instrumental in enabling the GOM to develop its first national
anti-corruption strategy. USAID was also pivotal in
establishment of a national coalition of civil society
organizations, and the creation of Madagascar’s first women
mayors’ association. By April 2005, approximately 30,000
students from 170 lower-secondary schools had been reached by
the civic education program, and 60 civil society
organizations and journalist associations had been trained on
civic education messages.
INCREASING RURAL INCOMES
Seventy percent of Madagascar’s population lives below the
poverty line. USAID seeks to accelerate economic growth
through business and market development. Specifically, it
encourages investment through strengthening links between
producers, enterprises, and external markets; increases access
to finance and more productive technology; and improves trade
and investment policies. USAID made considerable progress in
promoting export market development by sending two Malagasy
textile and embroidery sector firms to the Las Vegas Apparel
Sourcing Association Pavilion show in February 2004; $1
million in sales were reported from the event. The Agency also
facilitated the signature of a $40,000 production contract
between a farmers' cooperative and the private enterprise
Biosave for the sale of ginger.
IMPROVING NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Madagascar is one of the three highest biodiversity
conservation priority countries in the world because of the
large number of species found there and nowhere else on Earth.
USAID’s program to conserve biologically diverse forest
ecosystems is designed to improve protected area management
systems; maintain the biological integrity of critical
biodiversity habitats; promote alternatives to the practice of
slash-and-burn agriculture; support development of
eco-enterprises; and improve environmental governance. In the
two forest corridors where USAID is concentrating its
activities, the rate of forest loss is one-third to one-half
that of areas where USAID is not present. Approximately 20,000
farmers were using alternatives to slash-and-burn agricultural
practices, resulting in an average increase in income of 31
percent.
INCREASING ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE
Just under half of all children under five years of age are
malnourished and life expectancy is only 55 years. HIV
prevalence is relatively low for sub-Saharan Africa at 1.1
percent, but could increase if prevention measures are not
taken. USAID is helping national and local HIV/AIDS
organizations to encourage changing risky behavior and
therefore reduce the spread of the virus. As a result, condom
use is increasing among nonregular partners. USAID is helping
to strengthen training in medical and nursing schools to
improve the quality of health services. The Agency is also
expanding access to potable water with simple, affordable
treatment solutions, increasing access to clean water,
promoting hygiene and sanitation, and improving local water
management capacity.
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