5 6 S O U T H E R N A F R I C A N 4.2 POVERTY ERADICATION D E V E L O P M E N T C O M M U N I T Y taining infrastructure and promoting knowledge and health in poor areas; protecting the environment and reducing economic inequalities. It also entails expanding 4.2.1 Introduction into regional and international markets and promoting The SADC region has identified the combating of poverty as ment creation for the poor. investment to stimulate economic growth and employ- the overarching priority in its integration agenda. A key strategy in eradicating poverty is facilitating the Accordingly, the 1992 SADC Treaty contains broad goals empowerment of poor people by laying the political and achieving development and economic growth, alleviation of legal basis for inclusive development, promoting public poverty, enhancement of the standard and quality of live of administrations that foster economic growth and equity, the people of Southern Africa and support for the socially promoting inclusive decentralisation and community disadvantaged groups through regional integration. development, promoting gender equity, addressing social In recognition of the magnitude of the problem and in barriers and supporting poor people's social capital. line with the commitments that Member States have Another strategy for eradicating poverty is reducing the made under the Millennium Development Goals and risks of such events as conflicts, crimes, diseases and NEPAD, the region has adopted poverty eradication as its economic reforms and crises; reducing the vulnerability of main goal. the poor to them; and establishing coping mechanisms. These strategies are covered in greater detail in the 4.2.2 Overall Goal priority intervention areas mentioned above. They are The overall goal of the poverty intervention area is to being pursued by individual Member States, and, in many promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and basically consistent with the poverty reduction strategies respects, complement national strategies. socio-economic development that will ensure poverty alleviation with the ultimate objective of its eradication. 4.2.3 Focus Areas 4.2.5 Target 4.2.5 Achieve a GDP growth of at least 7 per cent per year and TARGET factors. For this reason, poverty eradication is addressed halve the proportion of the population that lives on less Achieve a GDP growth of at least 7 per cent per year than US$1 per day between 1990 and 2015. and halve the proportion of the population that in all intervention areas outlined in this chapter, in lives on less than US$1 per day between 1990 and particular, in the priority intervention areas of combating 2015. As indicated in Chapter 2, poverty is caused by many of the HIV and AIDS pandemic; gender equality and development; trade, economic liberalisation and development; infrastructure support for regional integration and poverty eradication; sustainable food 4.3 COMBATING OF THE HIV AND AIDS PANDEMIC security; and in human and social development. It is also addressed in the SADC Indicative Plan of the Organ on 4.3.1 Politics, Defence and Security in view of the importance of Introduction good governance for poverty eradication. HIV and AIDS continue to be the greatest public health and developmental challenge in the region. The levels of 4.2.4 Strategies prevalence and the incidence of HIV and AIDS in most Eradicating poverty requires that opportunities be several measures that have been put in place to address created for the poor to create wealth for themselves. This the epidemic. This calls for a radical scaling up of entails building up the capital assets of the poor, innovative responses at both regional and national levels. redistributing natural assets, constructing and main- In recognition of the serious threat that HIV and AIDS Member States continue to increase. This is in spite of