Among the unintended consequences of the September 11 terror attacks on the U.S. in 2001 was the blow it dealt to struggling economies throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. While global banks such as the International Finance Corporation were already active in Africa, attention to improving development needed to rise higher. In 2002, rock musician Bono joined U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill on a tour of African countries seeking international debt relief. Meanwhile, African leaders such as South Africa's President Thabo Mbeke encouraged direct foreign investment in their region. National governments have also embraced change, gradually moving toward more democracy and new regional organizations. Politically, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) transformed into the African Union (AU) in 2002. New economic institutions include the African Bank, African Monetary Fund and African Investment Bank

What challenges face integrated strategies for improving development in Sub-Saharan Africa? How effective do you believe these efforts will be to increase economic output in the region?

While the HIV/AIDS epidemic is severe, it is not the only health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa that has long-term consequences. Life expectancy in many countries has plummeted, due to diseases spread by animals, insects, and polluted water, not to mention war and poverty. Perhaps the worst scourge is malaria. African countries have cooperated to map malaria risks, but aggresive eradication efforts are difficult to undertake. Spraying pesticides reduces disease-bearing mosquito populations but pollutes groundwater. Alternatives to pesticides are often expensive or unavailable, and currently there is no vaccine against malaria.

Since malaria is the leading cause of death for young children in Africa, should pesticide use be encouraged despite the ecological damage?

Ivory comes from the tusks of African elephants, which is an endangered species. Four African countries are seeking an exemption to the worldwide ban on ivory sales imposed by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). While CITES made the ivory trade illegal in 1990, elephant populations in southern Africa grew so large that it waived the prohibition on ivory culling and trading in 1997 for a one-time sale in 1999. South Africa has used revenue from the ivory trade to assist with overall wildlife conservation. In other areas, however, elephants remain at risk from war and poachers. In Angola, the entire elephant population was nearly wiped out, prompting Botswana and South Africa to airlift excess elephants in 2001. Yet demand for ivory products, especially in Japan, remains high.

In your view, should the ivory trade be fully opened again? Fully banned again? Neither? Please explain your reasoning.