The World Bank disbursed 1.3 billion dollars to support the financing of various agricultural programmes in Africa in 2011, a report on African Brief has stated.
The report, released at the ongoing Spring meeting of the World Bank and the Intentional Monetary fund (IMF) in Washington D.C.,? said the funding was in line with response to the rising global food price.
“In response to the rising food prices worldwide, the bank scaled up its development financing for Agriculture programme across Africa, providing 1.3 billion dollars in 2011.
“The bank’s work is closely aligned with the comprehensive African Agriculture development programme, an Africa-owed and Africa led initiative, for increasing productivity in Agriculture,’’ the report stated.
It further revealed that the bank had till date committed 2 billion dollars for the fight against HIV and AIDs in Africa.
The report said that the fund for Africa helped to increase the global funding for the HIV and AIDS to rise from 1.6 billion dollars in 2001 to more than 16 billion dollars in 2010.
On malaria, it said that the bank, through the Malaria Booster Programme, had financed the provision of 73.8 million mosquito nets across the booster portfolio.
“To date, the bank has committed 772.8 million dollars to 22 projects across 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The booster programme has contributed to significant progress in Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia,’’ it said.
The report noted that the bank had also doubled its investment in regional integration from 2.1 billion dollars in 2008 to 4.2 billion dollars in July 2011.
“It will rise to 5.7 billion by July 2012,’’ the report added.?
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