All talk...but that's more than has been offered so far
Economic Conference Focuses on Africa's Plight
In Davos, Switzerland, Tony Blair, Bill Gates and Bono Join in Urging Aid for the Impoverished Continent
By Paul Haven
Associated Press
Thursday, January 27, 2005; 11:10 AM
DAVOS, Switzerland -- The world's richest man, one of its most visible social activists and Britain's leader put a sharp focus on the horrors facing Africa's poor on Thursday, saying the planet's indifference to the suffering has been scandalous.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has made Africa a focus of his leadership of the G-8 this year, said the continent's plight is "a scar on the conscience of the world" and questioned whether the global community would allow such poverty to persist anywhere else in the world.
"I almost think if what was happening in Africa today as we speak was happening in any other part of the world there would be such a scandal and clamor that governments would be falling over themselves to do something about this," Blair said at the second day of the World Economic Forum in this Swiss ski resort.
Bill Gates, who has amassed an estimated fortune of $48 billion as founder of Microsoft, said most of the disease and despair on the continent would be easily preventable if resources were applied.
"Millions of children die in Africa who shouldn't die, who it would be very easy to save," he said. "The fact that we don't apply the resources to the known cures or to finding better cures is really ... the most scandalous issue of our time."
