We need political will and commitment - Babatunde Osotimehin

Abstract

Solving some of Africa’s toughest problems requires the necessary political will, United Nations Population Fund Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin told a gathering of African ministers at a breakfast meeting before the start of the Ministerial Session of the African Regional Conference on Population and Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 3 October. Dr. Osotimehin acknowledged the progress Africa has made in reducing maternal mortality and empowering women, for instance by increasing women’s representation in parliament and ensuring more girls are in school. In addressing these issues, he said, “We know what causes them, we know what works, and we know what to do. So it’s about political will.” This means implementing the programmes that have been put in place in African countries and scaling them up.