British Prime Minister Tony Blair Sunday called on the world's powerful nations to act immediately to help Africa extricate herself from problems like conflict, famine and disease.

Speaking exclusively on South Africa's Carte Blanche program Sunday night on the continent wide M-Net satellite channel, Blair said it was high time that the world's major players stopped debating Africa's problems.

"Has the world woken up to these issues? Yes it has. Have we done enough about them? Obviously not," Blair, who attended this weekend's Progressive Governance Summit in Pretoria, said.

He said he felt that the world's powerful nations had a moral obligation to resolve issues like conflict, famine and disease in Africa.

"There's no sense in leaving Africa as the only continent anywhere in the world which has gone backwards in the last few decades."

"There's such vitality and energy and intelligence here, and it 's a tragedy that this isn't being used as it should be," he said.

The interview, conducted by former CNN presenter Tumi Makgabo, was recorded in Pretoria on Saturday but aired on M-Net on Sunday night.

He said although there was movement in Africa toward democracy, the responsibility to enforce good governance fell on the shoulders of the continent's leaders.

The developed world could "give all the support necessary to develop the capability of good governance, but in the end, it's the responsibility of African leaders to also ensure that they're enforcing good governance."

"I believe that for Africa and I'm prepared to put an immense amount of effort to help people get there. I also believe that in the Middle East as well. I think that is a good thing, but I also think it's the right thing," he said.

Blair said the Commission for Africa, his own government's initiative, and the New Partnership for Africa's Development, an initiative of African leaders, complimented each other.

The British prime minister expressed optimism about Africa's ability to change for the better.

"Movement in Africa has been one way -- towards democracy. There are genuine positive signs. Ghana, for example has made real strides forward."

"South Africa has been successful in dealing with its own issues, and internationally there's a great confidence in South Africa and its leadership -- and that's a positive sign too," he said.

Source: Xinhua