New funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will help improve the quality of statistical information in 17 sub-Saharan African countries, contributing to efforts to reduce hunger and poverty in the region, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Wednesday.
The food agency said the 5.6 million U.S. dollar grant over two years will allow the 17 countries identified, through the FAO country statistics information system (Country STAT), to substantially improve the quality, accessibility, relevance and reliability of their national statistics on food and agriculture.
by so doing, it will facilitate planning and decision-making bypolicy makers and analysts, particularly pushing the efforts to reduce hunger and poverty.
"With good and reliable data, it is much easier to pinpoint where assistance is working, where it may be weak to understand possible future needs," said Hafez Ghanem, FAO assistant director-general for the economic and social development.
The 17 countries involved in the project are Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
"Ensuring the reliability of country data is crucial both to the governments and to those working with countries to reduce undernourishment and strengthen agricultural and rural development," said Ghanem.
According to the FAO, a total of about 20 countries and regions are currently involved in Country STAT which focuses on data in the areas of food, resources and economics.
The grant from the Gates Foundation will enable the FAO to improve its information in 17 countries, nine of which currently use Country STAT in some capacity.
"Reliable data will help national governments, donors, researchers and the agricultural development community set priorities and policies that will ensure small farmers to gain access to the supplies and supports they need to boost their yields and incomes and build healthy, productive lives," said Dr. Rajiv Shah, director of Agricultural Development for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Development Program.
"Quality data will help us make better decisions so that our investments in agricultural development throughout sub-Saharan Africa can be as targeted and effective as possible," he stated.
Source:Xinhua
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