News stories by Susan Anyangu-Amu*

Campaigners for increased health financing welcome the commitment by African Union member states to direct more resources to health. But as the September MDG review of progress towards health and other development goals approaches, the needs of the continent seem to dwarf available budgets.

Dr Geoffrey Kasembeli says he worked almost seven years without a day off: that's how severe the shortage of obstetricians and gynaecologists in Kenya is. A similar situation prevails across the continent, a symptom of the weakness of reproductive health care in Africa.