Training Report: Millennium Development Goals in the SAARC Region

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Working Sessions He said that in order to reduce poverty, the Government of Pakistan launched Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in 2001 in response to rising trend in poverty since 1990s. The PRSP consisted of the following five elements: i) accelerating economic growth and maintaining macro-economic stability; ii) investing in human capital; iii) augmenting targeted interventions; iv) expanding social safety nets; and v) improving governance. Recognizing the need to protect the poor and the vulnerable and minimize the adverse effects of poverty, the Government has launched several social safety net programs including Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund; Pakistan Bait-ul-Mall; and Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). Programs under Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal are Individual Financial Assistance (IFA), Child Support Program (CSP), National Centres for Rehabilitation of Child Labour, Vocational / Diversified Vocational Schools, Pakistan Sweet Homes (PSHs), Langer Program, and Institutional Rehabilitation through NGOs. Programs under BISP include: Monthly Stipend; Waseela-e-Haq; Waseela-e-Rozgar; Waseela-e-Sehat; and Waseela-e-Taleem. Due to the transparency, objectivity and efficacy of the program international financial institutions and donor agencies have shown full trust in BISP. He concluded that Poverty Alleviation needs a multi-dimensional approach and no single policy can completely address the needs of poverty reduction. Macro-economic stability and sustained growth is a prerequisite to build a thriving economy. It requires interventions to enhance incomes and ensure growth combined with effective safety nets programs to cater to the needs of the marginalized and the poor. It requires interventions in the production system, transfer of resources and employment programs. Government at all levels is highly committed to poverty alleviation programs and all efforts are being made to ensure continuity of these programs. It is hoped that by 2015 substantial progress will be made to achieve MDG on Poverty Alleviation in Pakistan. 11
Working Sessions Dr. Aurang Zeb, Group Leader Nutrition, Nuclear Institute for Food & Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar took a session on “Health and Nutrition Situation of under Five Children in South Asia”. He informed that health is a state of complete physical and mental well being and not merely the absence of disease whereas nutrition is the science or study that deals with food and nourishment. The 4th MDG (Reduce Child Mortality) has six indicators which are: i) under-five mortality rate; ii) infant mortality rate; iii) proportion of fully immunised children 12-23 months (%); iv) proportion of under 1 year children immunized against measles (%); v) proportion of children under five who suffered from diarrhoea in the last 30 days and received ORT (%); and lady health workers’ coverage of target population (%). In Pakistan, Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) has declined to 86.5 from 117 since last 15 years. Although the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) target for 2010 was 77, there is a little chance that Pakistan will be able to achieve the 2015 MDG target of 52. The current Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is 70, here again Pakistan has missed the MTDF target of 65 for 2010 and it is very unlikely that Pakistan will be able to achieve the target of 40 by 2015. Proportion of fully immunised children, 12-23 months, is also unlikely to be achieved due to poor performance of the EPI. Proportion of under-1 year children immunised against measles is also unlikely to be achieved due to difference in the targeted and achieved percentage as targeted percentage is more than 90%, but the current achieved percentage is 86%. But the indicator of proportion of children under five who suffered from diarrhoea in the last 30 days is likely to be achieved due to good progress in the last couple of years, and the last indictor, Lady Health Workers’ coverage of target population, and its progress shows that it is likely to be achieved by 2015. In India, U5MR declined over last decade down to 64/1000 live births in 2009. India will reach 54/1000 live births by 2015 missing the MDG target by 12 percentage points. IMR declined by 30 points in the last 20 years but likely to be 45.04/1000 live births against the MDG target of 26.67/1000 by 2015. Immunization coverage against measles reached 72.4% in 2009; and is likely to fall short of target by 12 percentage points in 2015. He informed that globally, more that 150 million malnourished children under the age of 5. Half of the world malnourished children are in 3 countries of South Asia – India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Around 35% of the 9.2 million deaths in under 5 children are associated with under nutrition. One third of all Asian children are stunted – an indicator of growth retardation. 70% of the world stunted children are found in South Asia. He said that iron is the most widespread of all nutritional deficiencies holding back human development at significant cost to societies and economies. Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia. Vitamin A and Zinc are specific micronutrients that are both vital for child survival. Vitamin A deficiency is prevalent in most of the countries of Asia & Africa affecting preschool-age children and pregnant women. Zinc deficiency can impair the immune system and increase the risk of death from common childhood infections including diarrhoea, pneumonia, and malaria. It can also cause stunted growth, hair-loss, and lesions. Regions with high risk of Zinc deficiency include South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and several countries in Latin America. Iodine deficiency has multiple adverse effects in humans, termed iodine deficiency disorders, due to inadequate thyroid hormone production. Globally, it is estimated that 2 billion individuals have an insufficient iodine intake, and South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are particularly affected. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy and infancy may impair growth and neurodevelopment of the offspring and increase infant mortality. Deficiency during childhood reduces somatic growth and cognitive and motor function. The clinical implications of calcium deficiency include rickets, poor bone mass accrual as well as abnormal fetal programming during pregnancy, poor peak bone mass due to poor accrual in childhood and adolescence, postmenopausal osteoporosis and osteoporosis of the elderly. Daily calcium intake in South Asia as per recommendations is far lower. He concluded that malnutrition has long been known to undermine economic growth, perpetuate poverty. It causes heavy economic losses and contributes to half of all child deaths. Developing countries that invest in better nutrition for their children get high returns on their spending. 12
Page 1 and 2: Training Course on Millennium Devel
Page 3 and 4: Contents Contents Foreword Executiv
Page 5 and 6: Executive Summary Executive Summary
Page 7 and 8: Introduction policy initiatives as
Page 9 and 10: Introductory Session Introductory S
Page 11 and 12: Working Sessions She opined that pr
Page 13 and 14: Working Sessions India’s trend of
Page 15: Working Sessions secondary educatio
Page 19 and 20: Working Sessions Dr. Baikunta Aryal
Page 21 and 22: Working Sessions Goal 2 ‘Achieve
Page 23 and 24: Working Sessions resulted in a sign
Page 25 and 26: Recommendations of Working Groups R
Page 27 and 28: Recommendations of Working Groups D
Page 29 and 30: List of Participants 6. Mr. Muhamma
Page 31 and 32: List of Participants 27. Mr. Muhamm
Page 33 and 34: Working Programme Day 3: Wednesday,
Page 35 and 36: Annex-III Power Point Presentations
Page 37 and 38: 31 Power Point Presentations
Page 43 and 44: Power Point Presentations PROGRAMME
Page 47 and 48: Power Point Presentations THREATS 4
Page 49 and 50: Power Point Presentations FOOD SECU
Page 59 and 60: Power Point Presentations EFA DEVEL
Page 61 and 62: Power Point Presentations Millenniu
Page 63 and 64: Power Point Presentations Did you k
Page 65 and 66: Power Point Presentations Goal # 7
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Country Reports Country Report Mald
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Country Reports Government efforts:
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Country Reports 65
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Country Reports Poverty profile HCR
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Country Reports Achievement: MGD Go
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Country Reports Goal 7: Ensure Envi
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Country Reports 73
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Training Report: Millennium Development Goals in the SAARC Region

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