The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the centerpiece of development efforts of the Government of Pakistan. The 18 global targets and 48 indicators adopted in 2000 have been translated into 16 national targets and 37 indicators keeping in view Pakistan's specific conditions, priorities, data availability and institutional capacity.
Specifically, the MDGs have been incorporated into the Government's two important macroeconomic frameworks including the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF), which covers a five-year period from 2005-2010 and the Government's key planning document on development. The other is the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) which is a framework for social and economic policies. To date, however, sufficient progress has only been made on about half of the targeted indicators while others lag behind.
Pakistan faces three key challenges in making progress on the MDGs. First, there is growing evidence of widening disparities in social indicators, implying that most progress has by-passed the segments of society that need the most support. Second, spiked inflation, especially due to rising commodity prices, is threatening to undermine the recent progress observed in reducing poverty. Third, the sharply increased liabilities on the public account and the resulting growing deficits are putting a squeeze on the available fiscal space for pro-poor public spending targeting the attainment of MDGs.
The MDG target of cutting in half the proportion of people in the developing world living on less than $1 a day by 2015 remain within reach for the world as a whole. However, this achievement will be largely the result of extraordinary success in Asia, mostly East Asia. In contrast, little progress has been made in reducing extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.
New estimates released by the World Bank in August 2008 show that the number of people in the developing world living in extreme poverty may be higher than previously thought. Using a new threshold for extreme poverty now set at $1.25 a day (purchasing power parity) in 2005 prices, the Bank concludes that there were 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty in 2005.
Based on these data, poverty rates are estimated to have fallen from 52 per cent in 1981 to 42 per cent in 1990 and to 26 per cent in 2005. Over a 25-year period, the poverty rate in East Asia fell from nearly 80 per cent to under 20 per cent. In sub-Saharan Africa, the poverty rate remained constant at around 50 per cent.
Even though the proportion of people worldwide suffering from malnutrition and hunger has fallen since the early 1990s, the number of people lacking access to food has risen. With recent increases in food prices, it is estimated that 1 billion people will go hungry, while another 2 billion will be undernourished.
Eastern Asia, notably China, was successful in more than halving the proportion of underweight children between 1990 and 2006. In contrast, and despite improvements since 1990, almost 50 per cent of children are underweight in Southern Asia. This region alone accounts for more than half the world's undernourished children, while the majority of countries making the least progress in reducing child malnutrition are in sub-Saharan Africa.
For millions in the world today, jobs provide little relief from poverty because pay is so low. Employed persons living in a household where earnings are less than $1 per person a day are considered the 'working poor'. In sub-Saharan Africa, over half the workers fall into this category.
Between 55 and 75 per cent of the working age population is employed in most regions. The two exceptions are Northern Africa and Western Asia, partly because the employment-to-population ratio for women is less than 25 per cent (more than 40 percentage points below the ratio for men). For women to remain outside the labour force is often not a choice. More women in these regions would opt to work if it were socially acceptable, if more jobs were created for women and if institutions were in place to help them combine work and family responsibilities.
Rapid urbanization has altered the distribution and face of poverty. Slum dwellers, who account for 1 billion of the worldwide urban population, die earlier, experience more hunger and disease, receive less education and have fewer job opportunities.
Likewise, the encouraging trend in the eradication of hunger since the early 1990s was reversed in 2008, largely due to higher food prices. The prevalence of hunger in the developing regions is now on the rise, from 16 per cent in 2006 to 17 per cent in 2008. A decrease in international food prices in the second half of 2008 has failed to translate into more affordable food for most people around the world.
Microfinance has helped many of the world's poor to increase their incomes through self-employment and empowerment. With access to small loans and other financial services such as savings and micro-insurance, microfinance clients, mostly women, have formed micro-enterprises that generate income. Through microfinance, the poor are able to establish support networks for improving health and education in their communities. Microfinance also helps them meet unexpected needs arising from medical emergencies or a death in the family. Grameen Bank of Bangladesh is one of the world's most successful microfinance institutions. From a starting base of 10 members in 1976, Grameen Bank today has over 7.5 million borrowers, 65 per cent of whom have managed to lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
Pakistan's Progress Towards Attaining the MDGs (Source: MDGR)
Goals/Targets | Indicators | 1990/91 | 2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2005/06 PRSP Targets | 2001 Pers-pective Plan Targets | 2015 MDG Targets | |
Target 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day | Proportion of population below the calorie based food plus non-food poverty line | 26.1 | 32.1 | -- | 28 | 15 | 13 | |
Target 2: Halve between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger | Prevalence of underweight children (under 5 years of age) | 40 | 37 | -- | 33 | 28 | <20 | |
Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption | n/a | 30 | -- | n/a | 15 | -- | ||
Target 3: Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling | Net primary enrolment ratio (%) | 46 | 51 | -- | 58 | 91 | 100 | |
Completion/survival rate to grade 5 (%) | Approx 50 | 68 | 72 | 79 | n/a | 100 | ||
Adult literacy rate (%) | 36.3 | 50.5 | 54 | 59.5 | 78 | 88 | ||
Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and to all levels of education no later than 2015. | Gender parity index (GPI) for primary education | 0.51 | 0.57 | 0.57 | n/a | n/a | 1.00 | |
Gender parity index (GPI) for secondary education | 0.50 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.73 | n/a | 0.94 | ||
Gender parity index (GPI) for tertiary education | 0.46 | 0.78 | 0.78 | n/a | n/a | 0.00 | ||
Youth literacy GPI | 0.51 | 0.65 | 0.65 | 0.70 | 0.00 | 1.00 | ||
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector | 8.00 | 9.00 | -- | 9.00 | n/a | 14.00 | ||
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector | 17.00 | 16.00 | -- | 16.00 | n/a | 17.00 | ||
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament (national assembly) | 0.90 | 21 | 21 | -- | -- | -- | ||
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament (senate) | 1.00 | 17 | 17 | -- | -- | -- | ||
Target 5: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate | Under-five mortality rate | 140 | 105 | 103 | 80 | 65 | 52 | |
Infant mortality rate | 120 | 77 | 75 | 63 | 50 | 40 | ||
Proportion of fully immunised children 12-23 months | 25 | 53 | 55 | 82 | 90 | >90 | ||
Proportion of under 1 year children immunised against measles | -- | 57 | 57 | 65 | 90 | >90 | ||
Prevalence of under weight children (under 5 years of age) | 40 | 37 | 40 | 33 | 28 | <20 | ||
Proportion of children under five who suffered from diarrhoea in the last 30 days and received ORT | n/a | 45 | 40 | 40 | 20 | <10 | ||
Lady Health Workers' coverage of target population | n/a | 33.60 | 55 | 83.00 | 92.20 | 100 | ||
Target 6: Reduce by three-quarters, between 1900 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio | Maternal mortality ratio | 550 | 350 | 350-400 | 300-350 | 180 | 140 | |
Proportion of births attended by skilled birth attendants | 18 | 40 | 40 | 75 | 90 | >90 | ||
Contraceptive prevalence rate | 12 | 30 | 33 | 41.7 | 53 | 55 | ||
Total fertility rate | 5.40 | 4.10 | 3.9 | 3.75 | 2.50 | 2.10 | ||
Proportion of women 15-49 years who had given birth during last 3 years, who had attended at least one antenatal care consultation | 15 | 31 | 35 | 50 | 75 | 100 | ||
Target 7: Have halted by 2015, and begun to reverse, the spread of HIV/AIDS | HIV prevalence among 15-24 year old pregnant women | n/a | Baseline required | n/a | n/a | n/a | Baseline to be reduced by 50% | |
HIV prevalence among vulnerable group (e.g., active sexual workers) | n/a | Baseline required | n/a | n/a | n/a | Baseline to be reduced by 50% | ||
Target 8: Have halted by 2015, and begun to reverse, the incidence of malaria and other major diseases | Proportion of population in malaria risk areas using effective malaria prevention and treatment measures | n/a | 20 | 25 | 25 | -- | 75 | |
Incidence of tuberculosis per 100,000 population | n/a | 177 | 177 | 133 | -- | 45 | ||
Proportion of TB cases detected and cured under DOTS (Direct Observed Treatment Short Course) | Nil | 25 | 27 | 70 | -- | 85 | ||
Target 9: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources | Forest cover including state-owned and private forest and farmlands | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5 | 5.70 | 6 | |
Land area protected for the conservation of wildlife | 9.10 | 11.25 | 11.26 | 11.30 | 11.50 | 12.00 | ||
GDP (at constant factor cost) per unit energy use as a proxy for energy efficiency | 26,471 | 27,047 | 27,141 | 27,300 | 27,650 | 28,000 | ||
No. of vehicles using CNG fuel | 500 | 280,000 | 370,000 | -- | 812,000 | 920,000 | ||
Suplhur content in high speed diesel (as a proxy for ambient air quality) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | 0.5 - 0.25 | ||
Target 10: Halve by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water | Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved (safe) water source (Urban) | 52 | 85 | -- | 90 | 95 | ||
Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved (safe) water source (Rural) | 52 | 43 | -- | 75 | 80 | |||
Target 11: Have achieved, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of slum dwellers | Proportion of population with access to sanitation | n/a | 40 | 41 | 55 | 75 | 100 | |
Proportion of katchi abadis regularised | n/a | 50 | 51 | 60 | 75 | 100 | ||
Goals/Targets | Indicators | 1990/91 | 2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2005/06 PRSP Targets | 2001 Pers-pective Plan Targets | 2015 MDG Targets | |
Poverty and Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in Pakistan :
- ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL EDUCATION (Off track, but recent progress)
Primary school enrolment rates have improved recently. Due to this poverty will declines as the education level will improve in the country.
- PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY (Off track, but good recent progress)
Progress has been made since 1990, but gender inequality remains high. The ratio of female to male primary enrolment rates increased from under 0.68 in 1991 to 0.85 in 2005/06.
- REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY (Off track despite steady progress)
Progress has been made towards the target of reducing under-five mortality rates by two thirds. The rate of change will need to be accelerated to meet the target.
- IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH (Off track)
Some progress has been made towards the standard proxy indicators, although overall levels remain low.
- COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA & OTHER DISEASES v(Mixed progress)
Pakistan has the 6th
highest burden of TB disease in the world; although DOTS case detection and cure rates have improved significantly since 2000, and are on track to meet WHO targets for 2010.
• Polio is almost eradicated although a few isolated cases remain; 39 cases were reported in 2006, up slightly from 28 in 2005. There are around half a million cases of malaria a year.
• HIV/AIDS prevalence is low among the general population (<0.05%).
- ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (On track)
Despite a small decline in access to safe water over recent years, Pakistan is still on track to halve the population without access to improved water and sanitation by 2015.
• In 2005/06 66% had access to a tap or hand water pump and 60% had access to a flush toilet.
• The broader picture on ensuring environmental sustainability is mixed. Various environmental initiatives were started in the 1990s but came after years of environmental neglect.
- GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP (On track)
The strength of the relationship between International Partners and Pakistan has varied over the last decade. However over the last few years development assistance has been increasing and development agencies are strengthening their presence in Pakistan.
References:
- MDG_Report_2009
- ADP Report on Poverty
- UNDP Factsheet of Pakistan
- MDGs Progress Report by Pakistan
From Different News Published by UNDP
