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UNICEF estimates that meeting the MDG sanitation target will requirethat an additional 1 billion urban dwellers and almost 900 millionpeople in often remote rural communities should have access toimproved sanitation services. Accomplishing this by 2015 will be adaunting challenge for the world, particularly those in Africa. Thereis therefore a need for all African governments, from national to locallevel, institutions, NGO and civil society organisations, as well as developmentpartners, to join forces towards meeting the MDG targetsfor drinking water and sanitation.Related to Africa’s development is the promotion of maternal andchild health, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other preventable diseases.Africa accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s birth but contributesto 40 per cent of the world’s maternal deaths. Maternal health playsan important role in development because it helps governments toreduce the burden of disease and build on the social capital that derivesfrom an enabled and empowered population. Moreover, maternaland reproductive health frees women to pursue productiveopportunities as well as improve their lives and that of their familiesand communities. Today, however, Africa is still challenged to preventmillions of its less fortunate women from preventable deathsrelated to pregnancy and childbirth. There is therefore a need for aconcerted effort by African governments to ameliorate the situationas well as implement the outcome of the 2005 Social Summit on universalaccess to sexual and reproductive health without which a keyMDG goal cannot be achieved.Despite commendable efforts made by the African leaders, Africacontinues to wrestle with the HIV/AIDs pandemic. The UN Secretary-General’sreport indicates that in 2007, Sub-Saharan Africa accountedfor 68 per cent of all adults living with HIV, 90 per cent ofthe world’s HIV-infected children and 76 per cent of all AIDS deaths.The report of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa,Securing our Future, also details the impact this insidious diseaseis having on the governance structure of many African countries.Both reports emphasise that halting and reversing the spreadof the disease would contribute to poverty reduction, improvementin nutrition, reduction in child mortality and improvement in maternalhealth. To this end, strong leadership, increased financial supportand good governance are needed to tackle this challenge. That iswhy we should all embrace and support the AU strategic documentIntegrating Africa35