The United Nations has reported that 1 progress is being made in the fight 2 malaria in Africa. The UNICEF website says the area that is 3 the most dramatic improvement is sub- Saharan Africa. This is the region hardest hit by the 4 One of the biggest reasons for these gains against the killer infection is the increased use of special insect nets. This 5 solution can reduce child deaths by as much as 20 percent. The 6 says the number of children using the insecticide- treated 7 has tripled since 2000. According to UNICEF’s Executive Director Ann Veneman, controlling malaria is vital 8 improving child health and economic 9 in affected countries. Studies show that malaria unfairly affects the poorest people in these countries, and contributes to their poorer 10 conditions. UNICEF prepared the 11 together with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. This organisation is a collaboration of aid agencies launched in 1998 to 12 fight malaria. Its vision is that 13 2015, malaria "is no longer a major 14 of mortality and no longer a barrier 15 social and economic development". The report 16 provides a healthy picture of the use of drugs in 17 the number of malaria cases. Since 2003, national health programmes have 18 heavily in buying anti-malarial drugs called ACTs. UNICEF’s health chief Pater Salama is 19 and says the future looks bright. He reports: "With the strong backing of some of the international donors and the 20 of ACTs starting to be reduced, I think governments are becoming more confident now that this will be a sustainable strategy for anti-malaria treatment."
has been broadly characterized by its openness to trade and foreign investment 1 has a strong link with the U. S. economy 2 was severely impaired in its economy by the crisis in and beyond Southeast Asia 3 called for reform in economic and financial structures, which was particularly true during the crisis in South-east Asia 4 has strengthened links with the Southern part of China 5 wants to lower inter-provincial trade barriers to strengthen internal deregulation 6 is the one where the lack of stability in economy, society and politics blocked its economic development 7 was a special Administrative Region within one country with a high degree of autonomy 8 takes advantage of market both at home and abroad 9 is a very liberal WTO member or actively involved in the work in WTO 10 Indonesia The period under review (1994~1998) has been one of great contrast for Indonesian. After three decades of continuous growth fostered by political, social and macro-economic stability, the Asian economic crisis of 1997 has sown the seeds of major change in Indonesia’s economy and political system. The crisis and the subsequent fall in GDP, the largest among ASEAN countries, revealed underlying weaknesses in Indonesia’s economic and financial structures, which prompted calls for reform. Trade and foreign direct investment have been at the heart of Indonesia’s economic policy. In the face of the recent economic crisis, the Government undertook to accelerate the pace of reforms and to remove many remaining restrictions on domestic and international trade. From 1994 to 1996, real GDP grew on average by 8% annually. Although economic activity started to decelerate in the second half of 1996, the financial crisis of 1997 trans- formed a soft landing of the Indonesian economic into a serious recession. Indonesia’s international trade has also been severely affected by the recession in the country and elsewhere in Asia. Imports, which increased by nearly 27% in 1995, declined by 3% in U. S. dollar value in 1997 before failing by 30% in the first quarter of 1998. Exports a major element that could have stimulated activity in current circumstances, have fallen (in value terms) as a result of the slump in demand elsewhere in Asia. The causes of the financial and currency turmoil are multiple and complex. External factors, such as the withdrawal of international investors from Asia in the wake of the Thai, Philippines and Korean Crisis, were compounded by internal developments, particularly growing uncertainty about economic, social and political stability in Indonesia. Hong Kong The period under review (1994~1995) was marked by two main events. The first was Hong Kong’s reversion to the People’s Republic of China, on 1 July 1997, and its designation as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) with a high degree of autonomy with regard to economic (and most other) policies under the "one country, two systems" framework established in accordance with the Basic Law. Hong Kong is one of, if not the most liberal among WTO members. There is no indication that Hong Kong’s traditional openness to trade and foreign investment has been affected by reunification, and as such, the present economic regime may be broadly characterized as "business as usual". The second main event during the review period was the outbreak of the economic crisis in Thailand in July 1997 and its spread to other countries in and beyond South East Asia. The crisis, and the associated drop in demand throughout the region, has seriously impaired Hong Kong’s economic performance since the third quarter of 1997, causing a dramatic slowdown in economic activity. Nor, it would appear, has the Government attempted to influence the long-run structural evolution of Hong Kong’s economy during the period under review. One of the main features of this evolution has been the increasingly closer links with the fast-developing adjacent region of South China. In response to domestic calls for the Government to take action in order to alleviate, if not reverse, the recent slow-down in economic growth and the consequent rise in unemployment, in June 1998 the Government introduced a package of relief measures. Apart from the implementation of a few "emergency" measures, the authorities have largely refrained from interfering with the normal functioning of the free-market system. Canada Canada has continued to pursue an outward-oriented strategy that, combined with prudent micro-economic policies, has been integral to a recent strong growth performance. Over the last two years, Canada has participated in regional and multilateral initiatives that have further liberalized its generally open economy. It has also demonstrated its commitment to a strong multilateral trading system through an active and constructive participation in all aspects of work in the WTO. Domestic initiatives to lower interprovincial trade barriers, and move forward internal deregulation, enhance transparency, and rationalize the import regime have helped Canadian producers to adapt to the challenges, and to take advantage of the opportunities resulting from greater market access both at home and abroad. Economic activity has reflected strong private consumption and investment. Developments in the past two years have confirmed trade as a major determinant of Canada’s economic performance. Exports continued to benefit from the United States’ cyclical lead, supported by efficiency gains in the Canadian economy. The U. S. share in Canadian trade has risen further, to some 83% of merchandise exports and 67% of imports. Canada’s aggregate output thus remains exposed to slower growth in the United States. The financial crisis in Asia has had so far a limited impact on Canada’s overall economic growth, as only 8% of Canadian exports are destined for that region. Nevertheless, the crisis has been felt distinctively in western Canada and, if protracted, could have significant indirect effects on the economy as a whole.