There's a lot behind and in-between these numbers. Depending on how you slice it, assistance is up or down. A better and more in-depth analysis can be found at http://www.cgdev.org/files/15423_fil...to_Africa5.pdf and other locations.

Certainly, Africa has received a lot of funds for Malaria control and HIV/AIDS (PEPFAR and PMI) that are not necessarily "controlled" by the State Department or USAID. The Millenium Challenge Account funds are not controlled by USAID, but USAID sometimes manages the assistance.

I'd like to see if RI analyzes this properly and puts it all into context. They should also address, up front, their own biases and agendas.