A piece titled 'Half a Billion in Poverty and Counting: How Covid Derailed Africa's Development Goals' models how a lost year of growth has affected poverty reduction goals in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag behind on most of the goals. In 2020, sub-Saharan Africa plunged into its first recession in more than 25 years, erasing at least five years of progress in fighting poverty. To address this gap, funding from official creditors including the IMF, the largest providers of external debt, remain crucial for sub-Saharan Africa. Done right, increased engagement with China promises to build needed infrastructure and open new routes to trade, helping deliver on Africa's poverty reduction goals.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 18, 2021 10:54 UTC