Training Report: Millennium Development Goals in the SAARC Region

Working Sessions
includes greater market access, development assistance, and greater connectivity. Pakistan has been an aid
dependent country for many decades and aid has been crucial for achieving many of its developmental goals
and MDGs. With trade now replacing aid as a means to development, Pakistan’s desire for greater market
access is largely supply-constrained, where Pakistan narrow export base has limited exportable services and
commodities. Therefore, bilateral and multilateral overseas development assistance can play a key role in
providing support in developing the faculties of Pakistani producers to take advantages of the global economy
rather than be victims of it.
Dr. Baikunta Aryal presented the country report of Nepal. According to the report, Nepal is one of the 189
countries committed to the MDGs, a pledge renewed in its current Three Year Plan (2010 -2013). It was told
that Nepal will be able to achieve most of its MDG targets by 2015, except for the more complex ones such as
full employment and climate change which will require stronger efforts and an appropriate environment.
Nepal is likely to achieve poverty target of MDG 1. The country's current poverty level is 25.4%, suggesting
that it has been reduced by 5.5 percentage points since 2005. The 2009 assessment indicates poverty reduction
rate in rural areas (18%) is slower than that in urban areas (20%). Hunger target of the same goal is unlikely to
be achieved as Nepal has a very high rate of child malnutrition: half (49%) of children under five are stunted
and one third (39%) are underweight.This figure is within the top five in the world. Although, there has been
some development on the hunger indicators in the past, the recent rapid rise in food prices and the
consequences of climate change pose the main challenges in achieving the target.
MDG 2 ‘Achieve Universal Primary Education’ Nepal has shown remarkable improvement in the net
enrolment rate (NER) at primary level from 64% in 1990 to close to 93.7% in 2010 today. However, serious
concerns remain about the quality of primary education and the low school completion rates. The quality
issues can be addressed only by a child-friendly environment in schools. Completion rates can be addressed
through measures to increase the inclusiveness of education, and targeted policy to help the people in the
poorest economic quintile groups.
MDG 3 ‘Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women’ and associated targets are possible to achieve if
changes are made. Girls' enrolment is approaching the same levels as the rates for boys - 95 girls for every 100
boys now enroll in primary school. However, women's low status in the control of resources and political
decision making remains, as does high incidence of violence against women (including early marriage and
sex selective abortions). Serious measures should be taken to ensure the implementation of Nepal's
international commitments for women's empowerment and gender equality. Key commitments include the
CEDAW, and the UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
MDG 4 “Reduce Child Mortality” and associated targets are likely to be achieved. A well-coordinated scale
up of highly effective child survival interventions, such as Vitamin A distribution, immunization and
pneumonia treatment has contributed to the fact that the mortality rate among children under five years has
been halved during the past 10 years. The largest challenge today is addressing mortality among newborns,
now accounting for 54% of all deaths among under-five children.
As far as MDG 5 ‘Improve Maternal Health’ is concerned, the available data suggests that mortality rate
during childbirth has fallen from 850 in 100, 00 mothers in 1990 to 229 in 2010. However, only 1 out of 5
births are attended by a skilled birth attendant, linking also clearly to the high mortality rates of newborns.
Access to maternity and reproductive health services should be made universal and free of cost, as provided
by the Interim Constitution. The provision and retention of skilled staff and equipped and functioning
facilities in rural areas is key to this.
With regard to MDG 6 ‘Combat HIV and AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases’ the national figure on HIV
prevalence is slightly reversing 0.49% in 2010. However, Nepal's HIV epidemic is concentrated among
population groups at higher risk of transmission - injecting drug users, female sex workers, men who have sex
with men, and high-risk migrants. A well performing and integrated National TB Control program has
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