Global South Countries Increasing Health, Development Cooperation

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 21 Jan 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Some of the world's "emerging economies" -- such as Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, South Africa and Thailand -- recently have increased their trade with and development assistance to other developing nations, the Inter Press Service reports. The United Nations in a report released last month provided examples of the increasing cooperation between developing countries, including HIV/AIDS treatment assistance and aid to Africa. According to the report, Brazil has provided locally manufactured antiretroviral drugs to about 11 other developing countries, such as Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Colombia, East Timor, El Salvador, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Sao Tome and Principe. In addition, the study said that Brazil coordinates an international HIV/AIDS technical cooperation network that includes Argentina, China, Cuba, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine. The network aims to facilitate the transfer of technologies for the production of antiretrovirals.

The report also found that India has allocated about $200 million for the New Partnership for Africa's Development and provided West African countries with about $500 million in aid. In addition, China has pledged to double aid to Africa by 2009 to about $1 billion, as well as to establish a China-Africa development fund of about $5 billion aimed at encouraging Chinese companies to invest in the continent.

"Clearly, today there is growing economic complementarity and capacity for developing countries to advance their development through mutual cooperation," Munir Akram, the outgoing chair of the Group of 77 developing nations, said at a meeting last week. He added that many "developing countries are investing their surpluses in other developing countries, and many are engaged in extensive development cooperation" (Deen, Inter Press Service, 1/15).

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