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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Uneven progress on MDGs

THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION has made “impressive progress” in terms of achieving the United Nations-sponsored Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) but many countries, the Philippines included, still have a lot of work to do.

In the Asia-Pacific Regional MDG Report 2011-2012 released last Friday, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, UN Development Program and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said the region did particularly well in terms of raising people out of poverty, one of the eight overall goals that UN member states promised to achieve by 2015.


From 1990 to 2009, the number of people living on less than $1.25 per day had fallen to 22% from 50% or 871 million people from 1.57 billion, surpassing the target of halving the number of those living in extreme poverty. The region as a whole has exceeded the target, the report said.

The Philippines, however, is not part of this achievement as progress in the country was noted to have remained “slow.”

Other targets achieved in the region, meanwhile, include gender disparities in education, reducing the prevalence of HIV and tuberculosis (TB), increasing forest cover and cutting down on the use of ozone-depleting substances; and reducing the number of households with no access to safe drinking water.

But the Asia-Pacific is behind schedule in ten of 22 indicators, the report states, in areas such as ensuring that children complete grade school, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, preventing people from going hungry and preventing childbirth-related maternal deaths.

“[T]he region is lagging on some important targets, particularly those relatied to health... Many Asia-Pacific countries will need to step up their efforts to reduce hunger, prevent the deaths of millions of women and children, and ensure that all households benefit from basic sanitation,” the report states.

Compared to the 2010-2011 report that measured 21 indicators, the Philippines posted just one improvement: it became an “early achiever” in terms of increasing forest cover from previously “regressing/no progress.”
Otherwise, its scores in all others remained unchanged:

• “slow” in terms of halving the number of those living on $1.25/day;

• “slow” in reducing the number of underweight children;

• “regressing/no progress” in raising primary enrolment;

• “regressing/no progress” in reaching last grade;

• “regressing/no progress” in terms of primary completion;

• “early achiever” in reducing gender disparity at the primary education level;

• “early achiever”, gender secondary;

• “early achiever”, gender tertiary;

• “slow” in reducing under-five mortality;

• “slow” in reducing infant mortality;

• “slow” in ensuring that skilled attendants are present during births;

• “slow” in improving antenatal care;

• “on track” in reducing HIV prevalence;

• “early achiever” in reducing TB incidence;

• “early achiever” in reducing TB prevalence;

• “early achiever” in terms of protected areas;

• “early achiever” in reducing CO2 emissions;

• “early achiever” in reducing ozone-depleting substance consumption;

• “on track” in terms of providing safe water; and

• “on track” in terms of providing safe sanitation.

In terms of the 22nd indicator added to the latest report -- maternal mortality -- the Philippines was rated as “slow.”

A “slow” tag, the report explains, means the target will still be met but after 2015.

Sought for comment , National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Assistant Director-General Ruperto P. Majuca claimed that “[G]iven the government’s assiduous efforts and programs and policies in place, we have a high likelihood of achieving in time most of the targets” particularly those on poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality and combatting diseases.

He pointed to the government’s continuation and expansion of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, whose budget has been increased to P39.5 billion this year.

“In addition to poverty and hunger relief, this will help in making Filipino children attend school and the mothers and children receive medical check-ups,” Mr. Majuca said.

“There are many other programs and projects [such as the] schoolbuilding infrastructure project; SEA-K (Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran); Kalahi-CIDSS (Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services); programs aimed at increasing employment, and others too numerous to mention,” the NEDA official added.

The MDGs, established in 2000, involve the following: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality rates; improving maternal health; combatting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing a global partnership for development.

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