PM Hailemariam meets with Bill Gates

nister Hailemariam met Chairman of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Mr. Bill Gates at the sidelines of the 72nd UNGA meetings in New York.

The meeting is meant to facilitate joint review and planning of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), with a focus on the implementation of the 2014 AU Malabo Declaration for agricultural transformation on the African continent.

During the meeting, Mr. Gates informed the Prime Minister his plan to introduce an African Agricultural Score Card at AUC in order to track and evaluate the performance of member states and identify gaps to help his foundation mobilize adequate resource to support CAADP implementation and achieve the Malabo Declaration keeping in mind the principles of Africa’s Agenda 2063.”

Mr. Gates promised to help the AUC prepare African agriculture transformation scorecard and report on the progress to the assembly at its January 2018 Ordinary Session.

Prime Minister Hailemariam assured Mr. Gates his readiness to support the initiative and also share Ethiopia’s experience as Africa needs African solutions, reaffirming the partners support of the AU Agenda 2063, which calls for an Africa whose development is people driven and hinged on the potential of its own people, especially its women and youth.

The Gates Foundation supports programs that reach 45 countries across Africa, and from its offices in Africa, focus efforts in the 10 countries where it could register the greatest impact.

These countries include Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia.

As Ethiopia is characterized by significant and widespread need, as well as promising opportunities for impact, the foundations focus is on agriculture and family health.

For agriculture, along with the government’s strong leadership and commitment to progress, the Foundation prioritize research, the “last-mile delivery” of services, and strengthening policy and institutions.

For health, the Foundation support sustained, universal coverage of family health, expanding access to immunizations, and strengthening existing health systems. For both sectors, the Foundation focuses on policy and advocacy to address systemic challenges and capture emerging opportunities.