India pledges $5B in aid to Africa to help continent reach MDGs

India on Wednesday at the conclusion of the second India-Africa summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pledged $5 billion in aid to Africa to help the continent reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Guardian reports. The amount is nearly equal to India's annual health care budget of $5.9 billion, according to the newspaper.

Africa "will also have a partner in India for capacity building and expertise sharing over the next three years," the Guardian writes, adding that India's presence will help enhance commerce, infrastructure, education and training (Bhowmick, 5/25).