The Sunday News
ZIMBABWE is on course to being one of the first countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) despite the harsh effects of climate change, the United Nations has said.
There are eight MDGs that were set by the United Nations in 2000. Statistics from United Nations in Zimbabwe show that the country did remarkably well in six of the eight set goals.
The goals are going to be reviewed in September this year.
“The country’s achievements include attaining universal primary education (MDG2) which stands currently at 96,7 percent and halting and reversing the spread of HIV and Aids (MDG6) which currently stands at 14,3 percent down by almost half from the late 1990s,” said Communications Specialist in the UN Zimbabwe Resident Co-ordinator’s Office, Mr Sirak Gebrehiwot.
“Zimbabwe has also achieved modest progress on gender equality (MDG3). Women in parliament increased from 18 percent (55) to 35 percent (123) through special measures adopted in the new National Constitution and the country has achieved gender parity in primary school enrolment but has some work to do to achieve gender parity at tertiary education level as well as increasing the share of women in wage employment.
“The country has also reduced child mortality (MDG4) rate from 94 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2009 to 75 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2014, and maternal mortality ratio (MDG5) by about one third from 960 per 100 000 live births in 2009 to 614 in 2014. On environmental sustainability (MDG7), nearly all households, 98 percent in urban areas and 68 percent in rural areas have access to an improved water source. Forty-seven percent of households in urban areas and 30 percent in rural areas are using improved sanitation facilities.”
He also noted that the effects of climate change continue to have an impact on Zimbabweans, particularly on its rainfall dependent subsistence farmers. Farming families as well as livestock and wildlife have been exposed to ever changing and erratic weather patterns, including drought and flooding.
The country, Mr Gebrehiwot said, had also made some progress in achieving MDG8 of promoting global partnership through its re-engagement with the international community. He said these efforts were key for unlocking development assistance and foreign direct investment.
“However, much remains to be done particularly in areas such as poverty and malnutrition as well as employment generation (MDG1). Recent studies show that some 76 percent of rural households are poor, compared to 38,2 percent of urban households. Overall, 62,5 percent of households in the country are poor, with extreme poverty standing at 16,2 percent and with one in three children stunted due to malnutrition. This issue requires urgent and special attention,” said Mr Gebrehiwot.
The MDGs are eight international development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.
