Fighting Poverty Through Enterprise

Nearly 50% of the world's population - almost 3 billion people - live on less than $2 a day. 10 million children die every year from easily preventable diseases. AIDS kills 3 million people every year and 1 billion people lack access to sanitation. About one-quarter of children in poor countries do not finish primary school and some 1 billion adults are illiterate.

To date, the debate on tackling global poverty has been dominated by the case for providing more aid. The authors, Lord Brian Griffith and Dr Kim Tan of the Transformational Business Network, certainly believe that foreign aid has a role to play in facing this challenge. However, here they voice the need for greater emphasis to be given to the part that business and enterprise can play in reducing poverty.