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Most African countries off-track on MDGs: UNDP senior advisor

Xinhua, November 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

The United Nations Development Program senior advisor Neil Boyer said Sunday that most African countries are off-track regarding achieving the poverty-related goal of the eight Millennium Development Goals.

Addressing the 38th plenary session of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum being held at the coastal town of Swakopmund about 370 kilometers from Namibia's capital Windhoek, Boyer said rising inequality, unemployment and unplanned urbanization were contributing to high poverty levels.

"On the goal related to poverty, we are off track as a continent. We have not achieved the global goal of halving poverty," Boyer said.

He however said that a lot has been done regarding free education and the empowerment of women through education.

According to Boyer, there has also been some achievements in bringing women into decision-making bodies. He mentioned Namibia and South Africa for having done well in political gender parity.

In addition, Boyer said reducing and combating HIV and related diseases are also a plus for most African countries.

"Thanks to the rolling out of life saving HIV medication which has significantly prolonged the lives of people infected with HIV. The ripple effect was that lives of people affected by HIV who include caregivers and loved ones, had also improved," he said.

However, Boyer was not pleased with countries' performance on child mortality reduction, saying most of the challenges are caused by poverty and lack of access to water, sanitation, nutrition.

He also said maternal health, in particular safe births, family planning and contraception in many countries were presenting huge challenges.

"Our data suggests that we have 289 maternal deaths per 100, 000 live births whereas the global average is 210 maternal deaths per 100, 000 live births," he explained.

He mentioned the fact that most countries have also not made much progress in ensuring environmental sustainability, providing adequate sanitation, adhering to the global commitment of 0.7 percent income for development.

The plenary session that was officially opened Saturday will wrap up on Nov. 25. Enditem