Pop star and computer wizzard join poverty fight:At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, (from left to right) former US President Bill Clinton, Chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft Corporation Bill Gates, South African President Thabo Mbeki , Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, singer Bono and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo stand on the stage before the G8 and Africa session yesterday. They vowed to join fights against poverty in Africa.

BEIJING, Jan. 28 -- Tackling poverty in Africa has emerged as a central theme at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 

    The world's richest man, Bill Gates, one of its most high profile social activists, Bono, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have criticised global leaders for neglecting Africa.

    Blair, who has made Africa a focus of his leadership of the G8 this year, appealed for more aid for Africa.

    "We'd said already that we needed that we believe that we need at least to double the aid, debt relief, trade, governance, dealing with the main killer diseases. I think those are the issues that really come out of it."

    At the second day of the Forum, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, launched his appeal for Africa by stressing the need to tackle diseases that cripple poor countries economically.

    "Malaria is getting worse, there is three interventions, all of which we need to put more resources into - bed nets would make a fantastic difference, which is what they announced today, is a big thing. "

    Earlier in the week, Gates gave 750 million dollars to a global programme to vaccinate children against deadly diseases in developing countries.

    Irish rock star Bono, lead singer of the band U2, said that helping Africa offered "the chance to touch more people's lives" and said he was taking it up as a cause.

    "I think we can be the generation that ends extreme poverty. I really do and I want to spend the rest of my life pledging to that commitment. Stupid poverty, that's what I'm talking about."

    Their appeal was followed by a conference session on Thursday that included ex-US president Bill Clinton and Nigeria's president Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Clinton appeared to criticize his successor President George W. Bush, saying a fraction of the $80 billion a year spent on the war in Iraq would go a long way to alleviating Africa's problems.

    "We ought to fund doing more about it. We ought to start with AIDS and infrastructure, with getting the medicine. You know once the country has the infrastructure, you can save lives. You want to go save four million lives, give them medicines. It's not rocket science and it's so cheap."

    Nigerian president Obasanjo pledged to cut through politics to get more international aid in tackling Africa's poverty.

    "The situation in Africa must be seen as an emergency. I believe the money can be raised. And I believe if the money is raised, it can be wisely utilized, prudently utilized."

    The annual meeting in Davos brings together 2,500 of the world's leading business, intellectual, political and social leaders.

    Meanwhile, the rival World Social Forum - the so-called "anti-Davos" for campaigners against globalisation, for fair trade, and many other causes - is also entering its second day, in the Brazilian resort of Porto Alegre.

    Brazil's president Lula da Silva has also launched a Global Call to Action Against Poverty at the forum.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)