Background Information

Cornerstone Initiatives

Campaign Profiles

Progress Reports

ATPS and the Millennium Development Goals

The activities of ATPS are designed to improve and strengthen the governance of science and technology in Africa, and to increase the science and technological capabilities of Africans to enable them to drive their own development. Because of the nature of S&T policy, the activities cut across many sectors and issues. ATPS' ultimate goal is to contribute to the creation of knowledge economies that are competitive, have sustainable growth, and use innovative S&T policies to achieve significant poverty reduction. In this respect, the ATPS program of work is in consonance with some of the millennium development goals. In particular, ATPS addresses its work to millennium goals 1, 6, and 7.

Millennium goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Africa is home to 34 out of the world's 48 poorest countries. Excluding South Africa, it has an average annual income of US$300, representing US$0.82 per day. ATPS proposed activities directly related to goal 1 include the following:

Direct input into the poverty reduction strategic papers developed by the World Bank.

Using the national chapters, ATPS will continue to underscore the need for the integration of S&T policy issues in the papers by demonstrating the relevance of S&T in addressing poverty through the agricultural and industrial sectors. Additionally, research and training program s are envisaged through regional projects on (a) S&T and Food security (including and examination of technology for rural off-farm employment/income); (b) National systems of innovation studies: to identify gaps and linkages in the industrial and S&T systems that have implications for growth, employment and empowerment; (c) a research network on Foreign Direct investment (FDI), Technology Transfer and Poverty Reduction in Africa (the concept paper is currently being developed, but a concept note is available); and a regional research Network on Democracy and Technology (dealing with issues of empowerment and political participation).

The work on Food security follows from ATPS conference on the same held in November 2003 in Maseru, Lesotho (see communiqué from the meeting on this website).

Millennium goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases

Statistics from UNAIDS indicate that 40 million people globally were living with HIV by December 2001. Of these, 70% (28.1 million) were in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2001, it is estimated that 5 million adults and children were infected with the virus, 68% of these (3.4 million) in SSA where 2.3 million died of AIDS. The global prevalence rate is 1.2% but the SSA rate is 8.4% (7 times higher). A study in four districts in Uganda revealed that health expenses for AIDS patients were as high as 61% of the household income with the cost of drugs constitu ting 22%. The development challenges posed by HIV/AIDS for Africa are clear and require no elaboration here. Given the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and the continued high incidence of such tropical diseases as Malaria, health technology policy is critical in generating new knowledge for the management of the crises.

ATPS health technology policy project will examine: the policy requirement for the introduction of new technologies with respect to issues of innovation and patent, adoption and diffusion; the socio-economic consequences of the new technology; the implications of cost-sharing and cost containment on the adoption of new technologies for the management of these new diseases; examine whether new processes, organizational and institutional reforms have taken place in the health system to cope with HIV/AIDS; examine the learning mechanisms (both formal and informal) required to cope with the complexity of the new disease; review the institutional arrangement/framework for integrating indigenous knowledge and coping mechanisms with the modern practice in the management of HIV/AIDS; examine whether new medical knowledge and applications are gender constructed and constrained; an analysis of user problems and user initiatives that may signal a need for collective learning for drug manufacturers, governments, patients and advocacy groups will be undertaken. Finally, the project would shed light on the extent to which lack of investment in science in Africa and the location of drug manufacturers away from the disease location affects the introduction of new health technology. (ATPS has a concept note on this already).

Millennium goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

The assumption that new technology is exogenous and would simply appear at the right time and at the right price is simply false. In reality, market failure, in appropriate pricing, lack of knowledge and risks affect the adoption of technologies that are environmentally friendly. If the benefits of these cleaner technologies are more public than private, private industrial response will be lacking resulting in inadequate technological innovation. In this respect th e role of the government becomes critical. Governments would be expected to play a direct role in supporting the development and the diffusion of technologies that support environmental sustainability. African governments, often preoccupied with other pressing needs, assign less priority to issues of environmental technology. Africa, therefore, needs science and technology policies which are informed by environmental perspectives, and which are directed, towards sustainable growth and development. ATPS' role lies in conducting research and training, targeted at the policy makers and the private sector, which outlines the policy options, issues in the adoption and diffusion of the clean technology, social externalities and the role of the government. Of specific concern to ATPS are:

The question of dirty industries and cleaner production technologies;

Firm level responses involving analysis of firm-level decision making processes on environmental technology investment;

Solid waste management technologies (ATPS has an approved proposal on this awaiting funding);

Recycling technologies - paper, metals, plastics etc; · Water harvesting and treatment technologies;

Assessment of new water technologies (source augmentation, desalination, water reuse and redistribution) and implications for access and equity;

The physical infrastructure for water management and its renewal (design and construc tion of dams, modernization and rehabilitation of infrastructure);

Research on institutions that condition the legal, social, political and economic environment and the organizations responsible for water management;

Technology for community based, small scale water management;

Technology systems for small scale irrigation;

Bio-safety and the environmental implications of the GMO (we have a concept paper on this pending funding );

Trade, technology and environment nexus;

Technology for biodiversity conservation;

Public-Private sector partnerships;

Technology Foresight and Clusters (currently working on a document on clusters under contract with the NEPAD secretariat);

Economic incentives and c leaner technologies;

Evaluation of the regulatory regimes;

The impact of ICTs on energy consumption and pollution;

Use of ICTs in implem enting environmental policies (including monitoring and compliance).

ATPS will support small grants research in some of the above areas. It will also publish policy briefs that address these concerns and hold a major conference on S&T Policies and Environmental Sustainability. The small grants process allows ATPS to cluster projects within a subject area while allowing flexibility that ensures that the projects address different key national policy concerns. Following the annual conference, a regional research project will be initiated on the same subject involving case studies in at least 15 African countries. Results of these efforts will feed into our training programs and will be used by ATPS national chapters for advocacy. These issues addressed to the millennium goals constitute part of ATPS strategic plan for 2004-2007 and the implementation plans will require additional elaboration as full-fledged concept papers.