Poverty is not a cause but a result of Africa's problems. What African countries need the West cannot provide. They need personal liberty.
Though there's a strong case for us to help with the Ebola crisis, the worst thing Westerners could do to Africa would be to send more foreign aid. Foreign aid provides the financial resources that enable Africa's grossly corrupt and incompetent regimes to buy military equipment, pay off cronies and continue to oppress their people. It also provides resources for the leaders to live lavishly and set up "retirement" accounts in foreign banks.
-Walter Williams
Read on:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/10/walter-e-williams/want-to-hurt-the-tragic-continent/