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Articles by Chris Heitzig
Diabetes and the Life-Course: Evidence from Panel Data and Electronic Health Records
The authors have declared no competing interest. I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The Administrative Panel on Human Subjects in Medical Research, Stanford University, gave ethical approval for this work.
Edutainment for financial inclusion: Empowering women and youth in Central Asia
Central Asia is home to some of the lowest savings rates in the world, and this is particularly true in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan. According to 2021 Global Findex data, gross domestic savings rates in these two countries stood at just 6.9% and 12.6%, respectively, well below regional averages in Sub-Saharan Africa (14.6%), Latin America and the Caribbean (18.1%), and South Asia (25.7%).
Nigeria’s industries without smokestacks are delivering better economic opportunities than traditional sectors
Persistently high levels of unemployment have emerged to become a key policy challenge in Nigeria. Between 2010 and 2018, the unemployment rate rose from 5 percent to 23 percent. Worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy is simply not generating enough jobs for labor entrants, particularly women and youth. In 2020, the national unemployment rate stood at 33 percent, while 52 percent of women remained unemployed and 42 percent of youth (aged 15-34 years) were without jobs.
Nigeria’s industries without smokestacks are delivering better economic opportunities than traditional sectors
Persistently high levels of unemployment have emerged to become a key policy challenge in Nigeria. Between 2010 and 2018, the unemployment rate rose from 5 percent to 23 percent. Worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy is simply not generating enough jobs for labor entrants, particularly women and youth. In 2020, the national unemployment rate stood at 33 percent, while 52 percent of women remained unemployed and 42 percent of youth (aged 15-34 years) were without jobs.
Financing Climate-Resilient Infrastructure in Africa
Task Force 5 “Purpose & Performance: Reassessing the Global Financial Order” 1. The Challenge The scale of financing required to support African countries through climate change is significant.
Aid to Ukraine should not come at Africa's expense
Aid to Ukraine should not come at Africa's expense Short Url https://arab.news/r6que Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has generated enormous costs. Most have been borne by brave Ukrainian citizens and the unfortunate Russian soldiers ordered to fight. But the whole world has experienced significant collateral damage: Further spikes in energy costs and food prices, and a possible global recession.
Aid to Ukraine should not come at Africa's expense
By Chris Heitzig and Richard Newfarmer WASHINGTON, DC - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has generated enormous costs. Most have been borne by brave Ukrainian citizens and the unfortunate Russian soldiers ordered to fight. But the whole world has experienced significant collateral damage: Further spikes in energy costs and food prices, and a possible global recession. Nowhere has that indirect damage been greater than for those already on the brink of poverty, particularly in Africa.
Aid to Ukraine Should Not Come at Africa’s Expense | by Chris Heitzig & Richard Newfarmer - Project Syndicate
WASHINGTON, DC – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has generated enormous costs. Most have been borne by brave Ukrainian citizens and the unfortunate Russian soldiers ordered to fight. But the whole world has experienced significant collateral damage: further spikes in energy costs and food prices, and a possible global recession. Nowhere has that indirect damage been greater than for those already on the brink of poverty, particularly in Africa.
Aid to Ukraine Should Not Come at Africa’s Expense - Chris Heitzig
Aid to Ukraine Should Not Come at Africa's Expense - Chris Heitzig
Russia’s narratives about its invasion of Ukraine are lingering in Africa
Through social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube, many around the world have been following the unfolding havoc wreaked on Ukraine by Russia. Ukrainians have been able to effectively utilize these platforms to show the atrocities of war in real time, raise funds, and rally support from the international community, but face challenges posed by Russia’s attempts to obscure facts through disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda.
How currency sanctions on Russia could disrupt trade with Africa
Introduction Financial sanctions tend to hurt both the sanctioned and the sanctioner, but they also threaten to hurt countries that are financially interlinked with the sanctioned country. Recent sanctions levied on Russia by the United States and the European Union in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are disrupting global trade and financial networks across the world, including in Africa.
Financing for sustainable development is clogged
The IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings are a time when financing for sustainable development gets attention. This year, it was apparent that the main channels are clogged. To see why, it is useful to start with an understanding of the core elements of sustainable development financing. There are many channels, each with its own drivers. As Table 1 below shows, external financing in support of sustainable development objectives is in the range of $500 billion to $600 billion.
The state of international cooperation and multilateralism: A conversation with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, representative of the United States to the United Nations
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #BrookingsUSUN Global sociopolitical and economic difficulties abound. The COVID-19 pandemic lingers in many parts of the world, and despite some progress, equitable access to vaccines remains a challenge. Furthermore, rampant inflation and rising interest rates threaten to derail the global economic recovery and stall progress toward achieving the sustainable development goals.
Effective engagement with Africa: Capitalizing on shifts in business, technology, and global partnerships
Executive summary Africa, enabled by rapid technological change and demographic shifts, is primed for a major socioeconomic and structural revolution. This report analyzes the major trends driving this change, along with the opportunities and challenges stemming from it. Africa has the fastest-growing population in the world. In fact, one in four global citizens will be African by 2050.
Africa in the news: Ramaphosa visits West Africa, omicron-induced travel ban provokes backlash, and protests in Sudan and Eswatini continue
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visits West Africa This week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire as part of his seven-day tour of West Africa, a trip that will also include Ghana and Senegal next week. Before leaving Johannesburg, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of garnering investments in South Africa from West Africa. “We want to increase the confidence in our own companies operating in those countries,” Ramaphosa said.
Africa in the news: AGOA removals, vaccine update, and COP26-related news
The Biden administration to terminate AGOA access for Ethiopia, Mali, and Guinea On Tuesday, November 2, the Biden administration announced in a letter to Congress that Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali will be removed from the list of beneficiaries of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Sub-Saharan Africa’s debt problem: Mapping the pandemic’s effect and the way forward
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has, thus far, spared Africa from the high number of cases and deaths seen in other regions in the world (Figure 1). As of April 2021, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for just 3 percent of the world’s cases and 4 percent of its deaths. Some experts attribute the relatively low case counts in sub-Saharan Africa to the region’s extremely young population or, importantly, the swift and preemptive lockdowns that many countries implemented in March 2020.
Africa in the news: Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and vaccine updates
Guinean special forces oust president and dissolve government On Sunday, September 5, Guinean special forces led by Col. Mamady Doumboya announced on state television that they had removed President Alpha Condé from office and dissolved the current government. In the announcement, Doumboya indicated that military officials would rewrite Guinea’s constitution and also accused Condé of human rights abuses and corruption.
Africa in the news: Zambian election, impacts of the Taliban’s Afghanistan takeover, and health updates
Zambian opposition leader Hichilema wins presidential election On Monday, Zambia’s electoral commission declared opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema the winner of the southern African nation’s recent presidential election. Hichilema garnered 2.8 million votes, or 50.1 percent of the total, narrowly eclipsing the 50 percent mark needed to win without recourse to a second round.
Africa in the news: Politics, security, and wildlife poaching updates
South Sudan’s Machar deposed as head of party; South Africa’s Zuma hospitalized On Wednesday, the military wing of South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar’s political party (the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition) announced that it had deposed him as party head after a three-day meeting of senior officials.
Africa in the news: Basketball Africa League, COVID-19, and security updates
Inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League concludes Early this week, the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (or “the BAL”) concluded with Zamalek (Egypt) defeating US Monastir (Tunisia) 76-63 in the championship game held in Kigali, Rwanda. The BAL’s first season, a joint product of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), consisted of 12 teams that qualified for the league after winning domestic championships.
Africa in the news: Mali coup, African vaccine production, and DRC volcano eruption
Mali transitional president and prime minister removed in a coup Mali transitional Vice President Assimi Goïta announced on Tuesday that he had removed from power transitional President Bah N’Daw, transitional Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, and several advisers in another coup. Goïta—who also led last year’s coup—stated that the removals were due to their failure to consult him on a cabinet reshuffle. On Wednesday, Mali’s president and prime minister were released from detention after resigning.
Africa in the news: Wildlife, Horn of Africa, and infrastructure updates
Kenya’s first national wildlife census, South Africa ends captive lion breeding, and Zimbabwe intends to reintroduce rhinos to its wildlife parks Last Friday, Kenya began conducting its first-ever national wildlife census. The $2.3 million conservation project aims to improve knowledge about wildlife population distribution and sizes, identify threats to the animals, and develop conservation strategies to protect them.
Africa’s green bond market trails behind other regions
The United Nations predicts that the African continent will be one of the most severely impacted regions in the world by climate change, which will manifest in widespread water stress and declining agricultural yields throughout the continent, exacerbating food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty.
Figures of the week: Africa’s spatial distribution of road infrastructure
One of the pressing obstacles on Africa’s economic growth is its limited infrastructure. In a recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, “Spatial Inefficiencies In Africa’s Trade Network,” Harvard doctoral student Tilman Graff studies the spatial inefficiencies of Africa’s transportation industry and its impact on trade.
Africa in the News: Risk of Ebola outbreak grows, South African economy rebounds, and politics update
Risk of Ebola spreading in West Africa grows World Health Organization (WHO) officials warned of the very high risk of the current Ebola outbreak in Guinea spreading to its neighbors, countries that officials do not consider prepared for vaccine dissemination campaigns to mitigate the outbreak.
Figures of the week: African insurance market poised for growth
Economic growth across the continent is actively reshaping Africa’s historically underdeveloped insurance market according to a recent report by McKinsey and Company, which outlines the trajectory of the African insurance market’s growth and the potential for prodigious development of the sector.
Africa in the news: Sudan, COVID-19 vaccine, and political updates
Sudan devalues currency On Wednesday, the Central Bank of Sudan steeply devalued its currency to appeal to foreign donors and access debt relief. After being pegged at 55 Sudanese pounds to the U.S. dollar for the past year, the pound was trading late Thursday at 375 pounds to the dollar. The devaluation, which speculators had been expecting for several months now, had been delayed due to volatile prices and complications surrounding the political transition.
Figures of the week: Africa’s infrastructure paradox
Poor infrastructure continues to hinder economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, according to a recent publication by McKinsey and Company, the region’s attempts to address these gaps have often resulted in infrastructure projects that never move beyond the planning stages.
COVID-19's Disruption to African Development Progress
Leo Holtz & Chris Heitzig, EWTN News February 19, 2021 Although COVID-19 infection rates in Africa have been significantly lower than initially predicted, many development experts postulate that the pandemic's economic upheaval threatens to erase up to a decade's worth of development progress in the region. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments
Figures of the week: Addressing COVID-19’s disruption to African development progress
Although COVID-19 infection rates in Africa have been significantly lower than initially predicted, many development experts postulate that the pandemic’s economic upheaval threatens to erase up to a decade’s worth of development progress in the region. In Chapter 3 of the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative’s Foresight Africa 2021, Jakkie Cilliers and Stellah Kwasi address the pandemic’s impact on Africa’s development goals and how to respond to this unprecedented shock.
The effects of the global energy transition in Africa: Disruption and opportunity
Leo Holtz and Chris Heitzig, According to a recent World Bank publication, “Africa’s Resource Export Opportunities and the Global Energy Transition,” the world’s shift toward renewable energy and clean energy technologies will provoke a precipitous reduction in global demand for hydrocarbon fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
The effects of the global energy transition in Africa: Disruption and opportunity
According to a recent World Bank publication, “Africa’s Resource Export Opportunities and the Global Energy Transition,” the world’s shift toward renewable energy and clean energy technologies will provoke a precipitous reduction in global demand for hydrocarbon fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Given that nearly 50 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s export value is composed of fossil fuels, the global energy transition may have profound effects on its economies.
Figures of the week: Household participation in agriculture on the rise since the outbreak of COVID-19
While the agriculture sector employs more than 50 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s workforce, employment in the sector has steeply declined by nearly 18 percent from approximately 61.7 percent in 2000 to 52.3 percent in 2020. However, in spite of this decadeslong trend, a recent report by the World Bank reveals that sub-Saharan African household employment in agriculture has risen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figures of the week: Carbon taxes can fuel green economic recovery and reduce income inequality
The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed the first recession in a quarter of a century across the African continent, but many experts believe that the economic shock offers an unprecedented opportunity to implement a green transformation policy that promotes an inclusive, sustainable economic recovery.
Reflecting on Race in America 50 Years after the Civil Rights Act
Reflecting on Race in America 50 Years after the Civil Rights Act Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #CivilRights50 This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act, landmark federal legislation that prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or national origin. Fifty years later, the Civil Rights Act is widely regarded as some of the most significant set of laws enacted in American history.
Africa in the news: Natural resources, elections, and COVID-19 updates
Natural resource outlook In a report released Wednesday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reduced their earlier 2021 estimates of oil demand by 0.3 million barrels/day (mb/d). According to the report, global resurgence of the COVID-19 virus has stymied fuel sales, thereby dampening forecasts for global oil demand in 2021. IEA initially predicted that global demand for oil would rise 5.8 mb/d in 2021 after contracting by 8.8 mb/d in 2020.
Climate change and financial market regulations: Insights from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and former SEC Chair Mary Schapiro
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #ClimateRegulation There is growing interest among regulators around the world in helping to address climate change through the levers of financial market regulation. In addition, private companies are starting to elevate the importance of climate and sustainability risk for investment decisions.
Africa in the news: Central African Republic, Ethiopia, and Uganda updates
Rebel forces take aim at the Central African Republic capital On Wednesday, January 13, armed rebel groups in the Central African Republic began a coordinated attack on the peripheries of the capital Bangui, before government forces and the United Nations Blue Helmets repelled them, according to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Figure of the week: Momentum in trade going into the AfCFTA era
The start of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) commenced just two weeks ago. Many academics, policymakers, and business leaders are hopeful that, if implemented appropriately, the landmark trade agreement could further bolster efforts toward regional integration and spur economic growth across the region more broadly. The region does enter the agreement with great momentum around trade: Exports have grown by nearly a factor of four since 1995.
Foresight Africa: Top priorities for the continent in 2021
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #ForesightAfrica Beyond the staggering tragedy that is the death and illness of thousands of people the world over, the COVID-19 pandemic has also brought unprecedented economic disorder, decimating economies and livelihoods of citizens in rich and poor nations alike.
Africa in the news: AfCFTA launches, Africa secures COVID-19 vaccines, and Niger and the Central African Republic vote
Trade begins under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement After a six-month delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, trade kicked off under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) on January 1, 2021. All African countries but Eritrea have signed the agreement, and 34 have ratified it as of early December 2020.
Africa Growth Initiative’s top 5 figures of 2020
Each week, the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative team highlights figures related to African economic growth and development. These so-called “Figures of the Week” include visuals from recently published reports that reveal something significant or interesting about trends on the continent. In the last “Figures of the Week” of 2020, we review the five most-read posts from this year. 1.
Africa in the news: Kenya and Nigeria updates
Kenya and United Kingdom sign trade deal Earlier this month, Kenya signed a trade deal with the United Kingdom, an agreement that will help Kenya avoid disruptions once the U.K. begins to transition out of the European Union on December 31. The agreement will ensure that Kenya will continue to enjoy quota-free and duty-free access to the U.K. market. , as it imports a large share of Kenya’s flower and tea exports and accounts for 43 percent of its vegetable exports.
Figure of the week: Sub-Saharan Africa shows resilience to the effects of COVID-19, according to high-frequency phone surveys
Almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, gaps in data on how the virus is impacting African citizens both in terms of spread and household economic impacts remains scant. In an attempt to fill this gap, the World Bank recently launched a dashboard summarizing country-level results of high-frequency COVID-19 surveys conducted from April to August that asked respondents questions on 14 topics, including employment, food security, health, and others.
Africa in the news: COVID-19 vaccine, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso updates
AstraZeneca vaccine trial begins in Kenya Over the last month, the Kenya Medical Research Institute Wellcome Trust (KEMRI) implemented phase one of a trial of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate. KEMRI kicked off the trial by injecting a collection of volunteers before moving on to health workers and front-line workers.
Figures of the week: Research in South Africa into whether polls influence votes
Many factors influence how individuals vote, including how they perceive others may vote. In this way, many experts believe individuals can be swayed by polls showing heightened support for candidates or other political beliefs. Notably, though, this potential behavior raises the possibility of incentivizing voters to vote for a candidate other than one’s preferred candidate for strategic reasons.
Africa in the news: Post-election updates, Nigeria ratifies AfCFTA, and continued unrest in Ethiopia
Post-election updates in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Tanzania On Wednesday, November 11, Côte d’Ivoire’s newly reelected President Alassane Ouattara met with one of the country’s main opposition leaders, Henri Konan Bedie, in an attempt to avoid a crisis in the West African country. Last month, alongside another opposition candidate, former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, Bedie had called on his supporters to boycott the controversial election that has seen violence on either side of it.
Figure of the week: The post-pandemic road to economic recovery in Africa
Last month, the International Monetary Fund published its regional economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa, which seeks to answer the question: What does the post-pandemic road to economic recovery look like? While no sub-Saharan African country has avoided the pandemic, cases have dropped substantially after peaking in July (Figure 1).
Tanzania, Guinea, Seychelles, Zambia, and Zimbabwe updates
1.11.2020 9:31 Preliminary results on the morning of Friday, October 30 (as of this writing), suggest that Tanzanian President John Magufuli has all but secured a second term as president of Tanzania in a controversial election. Friday also saw Magafuli’s ruling party (Cha Chama Mapinduzi) win 194 parliamentary seats compared to just two for the opposition parties.
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