Events for the Week of December 14 to December 20

Continue reading for events concerning Africa  happening in D.C. next week 

Monday, December 15, 2014

5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by: CSIS Africa Program

Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036, 1st Floor Conference Room

Dictators and Democracy in African Development: The Political Economy of Good Governance in Nigeria

Summary: Drawing on a historical study of Nigeria since independence, Dr. Carl LeVan of American Univerity argues in his new book, Dictators and Democracy in African Development: the Political Economy of Good Governance in Nigeria, that the structure of the policy-making process explains variations in government performance better than other commonly cited factors, such as oil, colonialism, ethnic diversity, foreign debt, and dictatorships. He links the political structure of the policy process to patterns of government performance over half a century to show that the key factor is not simply the status of the regime as a dictatorship or a democracy, but rather the structure of the policy-making process by which different policy demands are included or excluded. Please join us for what will be a timely conversation with the author about the political process in Nigeria, just two months shy of its critical national elections set for early 2015.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Hosted by: CSIS Africa and Global Health Programs

Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036

Ebola Vaccines and Antivirals: What Lies Ahead?

Summary: There are rapidly accelerating efforts underway by industry, governments, NGOS, international organizations, and foundations to bring forward Ebola vaccines and antivirals. There have been promising early returns, amidst considerable unknowns and acute pressures to find safe, effective, and affordable new technological tools. Ambitious field trials are set to begin in the new year in West Africa.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Hosted by: The Wilson Center

Location: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza - 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20004-3027

Emerging Priorities for Maternal Health in Nigeria

Summary: The Wilson Center's Maternal Health Initiative, in partnership with UNFPA and the Maternal Health Task Force, is heading to Abuja, Nigeria, to co-host a two-day workshop from December 16-17 with the Centre for Population and Reproductive Health. On December 17, Nigerian policymakers, community health workers, program managers, and donors will join us in a discussion about what's needed to improve maternal health systems in a live videoconference.

Over the last decade, Nigeria has seen only modest improvements in maternal health. Despite innovative efforts such as the Midwives Service Scheme, SURE-P, and Saving One Million Lives, maternal mortality rates stand at 565 per 100,000 live births and modern contraceptive prevalence is just 10 percent. Advocacy for national political commitment has been ongoing and there have been efforts to improve provision for entitlements, expand infrastructure, and increase access to drugs, but the scale of the country makes progress difficult.

With renewed commitment and concerted action, it's possible for Nigeria to reach the goal of universal maternal health coverage, say Nigerian maternal health experts, but doing so will require focus on key areas of an unfinished agenda, including a strategic roadmap to acquire universal access, and examination of critical policy issues and recommendations.