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CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MDGS -2008

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By Prof. Clara Korkor Fayorsey

Sociology Department,University of Ghana, Legon,

International Conference Centre,Accra 2010

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OUTLINE AND OBJECTIVES

• TO REVIEW FINDINGS OF THE GHANA MDGs • TO EXAMINE THE WEAKNESSES IN GOVERNMENT

POLICIES• RECOMMENDATIONS ACCELERATING THE

ATTAINMENT OF THE MDGS• TO REVIEW CONTENT AND FLOW OF THE REPORT

AND • RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE FUTURE MDGS

REPORT

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THE MDG• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), are long term universally accepted minimum

global goals that significantly, aim at improving human development by 2015.

• The MDGs focus basically, on reducing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, discrimination against women and promotion of international partnership

• The MDGs serve as a time-bound, achievable blueprint for reducing poverty and improving lives agreed to by all countries and all leading development institutions. They guide governments, donors and development practitioners worldwide to focus on development priorities

• The MDGs consist of 8 broad goals, 21 targets and 60 indicators.

• Baseline or benchmark for MDGs is 1990:

• Targets to be achieved by 2015

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THE 2008 GHANA MDG REPORT• The main objective of 2008 Ghana MDGs Report, the fourth in the

series, is to capture Ghana’s progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as at 2008.

• The Report analyses the goals and the extent to which they could be reached by 2015.

• The goals and the relevant targets and indicators are analysed against four elements: (i) status and trend; (ii) key factors contributing to the success; (iii) key challenges; and (iv) resource requirements. In section four the report addresses some of the good practices adopted with the objective of explaining success. Section five undertakes an assessment of the impacts of the global financial and economic crisis on the MDGs in Ghana, while section six undertakes impact analysis of climate change and its manifestations on the MDGs in Ghana.

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THE 8 GOALS:WHERE IS GHANA MDGs, to be achieved between 1990 (benchmark) and 2015

(target), are:1. eradicating extreme poverty & hunger (18.2%), Under 5

nutritional levels improved, food insecurity minimal (5%)2. achieving universal primary education (83.7% gross

enrolment, 95.5 gender parity3. promoting gender equality & empowering women(Barriers to

enrolment removed, GPI increased at primary level, girls disadvantaged at secondary level)

4. reducing child mortality ( Child health Policy & Strategy in place Several other programmes in Place, 28% decline in under 5 mortality from 111 in 2003 to 80 per 1000 live births in 2008

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PROGRESS CONTD

1. improving maternal health (Several programmes in place, slow decline in maternal deaths from 503 to 451 per 100,000 live births. Expected to reduce further to 340 by 2015

2. combating HIV and AIDS & other diseases, (Initial gains reversed 3.2% in 2006 to 2.2 in 2008 to 2.9 in 2009.)

3. ensuring environmental sustainability (decline in forest cover, environmental threats, Ghana not on course)

4. developing a global partnership for development.(Improved partnership, resource mobilisation, draft AID Policy in place)

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GOVERNMENT POLICY:FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO PROGRESS

• High GDP growth rate supported by increased foreign investment outlays, government development expenditures and debt relief accounts for the decline in poverty.

• POLICY INITIATIVES IMPROVED- such as SADA, LEAP, Capitation Grant, School Feeding Programme, Safe Motherhood, Etc Have Supported Education And Health

• Investments In Agric, Industry, Infrastructure• Good Governance and political stability

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KEY CHALLENGES

• LACK OF DATA• LACK OF FUNDS• LACK OF HEALTH FACILITIES WITH MATERNAL

HEALTH CARE SERVICES• PERSISTENT INFANT AND CHILD MALNUTRITION• POOR QUALITY OF CARE AND HUMAN

RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS• LACK OF PLANS AND PROCEDURES TO CHECK

AND ASSESS EFICIENCY

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KEY CHALLENGES• REGIONAL AND DISTRICT INEQUALITIES

• DEPENDENCE ON PRIMARY PRODUCTS AND LIMITED DIVERSIFICATIONPRODUCTIVE SECTORS INCLUDING AGRICULTURE.

• VULNERABILITY TO INTERNAL AND GLOBAL SHOCKS:

• LOW DOMESTIC RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND OVER-DEPENDENCE ON AID

• WEAK BUSINESS CLIMATE

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CRITIQUE ON PROGRESS MADE SO FAR

Declines in Poverty at the Macro-level have not significantly translated into pockets at the micro level.

One of the basic indicators for the standard of living for any country is maternal and Infant Child Health. How then do we explain the high MMRs . The information captured is not adequate on the efforts by stakeholders to curb high incidence of Maternal mortality. Even one death is important and the 451 deaths per 100,000 live births is unacceptable for the country

Macro economic indicators are fine, but do not reflect adequately the micro situation.

All stake holders must take must take cognizance of micro-economic climate in assessing the progress made so far in all 8 goals.

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RECOMMENDATIONS ON ACCELERATING THE

ATTAINMENT OF THE MDGs

1. FACILITATE INTERSECTORAL COLLABORATION

• Bring together all agencies and NGOs who are implementing pro-poor programmes as a means of harmonizing their interventions to increase coverage and enhance impact

• Increased collaboration between all stakeholders especially parliamentary sub-committees, CSOs, Academia and Experts to be updated with current information on programmes and projects targeted at achieving the MDGs in order to make informed decision to accelerate the MDGs

• Continued engagement with MDAs and some NGOs to dialogue and share ideas of improving on targeting mechanisms for pro-poor interventions

• Involve parliamentary sub- committees and ministers in regular dialogue on pragmatic strategies being implemented to achieve the MDGs and to sustain the gains

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2.MONITOR PRO-POOR INTERVENTION

• Periodic visits by stakeholders to the

grassroot to assess the impact of pro-poor interventions targeted at achieving the MDGs

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3. PRE-BUDGET ENGAGEMENT WITH MDAs, CSOs, NGOs

• Pre-budget engagement of the MDAs to make input into their ensuing year budgets and to also have the opportunity to have better insight as to what the sector intends to achieve. This will offer Government opportunity to demand accountability for what was said to be achieved by the sectors. It also important because of the provisions of Article 108 of the 1992 Constitution which bars parliament from increasing resource allocations in the appropriation bill.

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4. BUDGET POLICING AND TRACKING OF PRO-POOR LOANS

• All loan agreement meant for pro-poor programmes and projects should be well tracked by Parliamentary sub-committee on MDGs

• Track down on all promises made in the budget and ask why

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LEGISLATIVE• Parliament should begin to debate the national budget along the

targets of the MDGs, after all, it is the minimum standard expected of every country

• The Committee should initiate debate on the floor of the house regarding the criteria for defining who is poor, vulnerable and excluded in order to improve on targeting systems

• Debate for approval of all international loan agreements should be debated along its contribution to accelerating the achievement of the MDGs

• Sector ministers responsible for implementing direct pro-poor programmes should be periodically summoned to Parliament through questions by the Committee Members to answer progress on the MDGs

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REPRESENTATION

• All stakeholders especially Parliamentary sub-committes the Committees:-

• should initiate plans to harmonize all the activities of NGOs in their constituents to avoid duplication of similar pro-poor programmes implementation

• Should initiate plans for the DCEs to involve the people in programme formulation and implementation so as to increase impact.

• The constituents must be empowered to demand proper accountability from their leaders

• Increase CSOs and Media involvement in the activities of the DAs in order to improve on accountability

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OVERSIGHT RESPONSILITIES FOR ACCELERATION

Provide guidelines for addressing inequalities between regions and within districts

High cost of education especially at the tertiary level do not auger well for poor families

General Decline of quality of educationInadequate infrastructure Ensure quality in education

Provision of human resources and skills within the health system to improve on the quality of care

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OVERSIGHT RESPONSILITIES FOR ACCELERATION

• Ensure availability of data on maternal health care for systematic investigation into maternal health

• Plan proper waste disposal system and poor drainage system

• Provide funding to undertake and maintain huge water projects

• Shortages in foreign exchange inflow due to inadequate export revenue

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REVIEW OF CONTENTS AND FLOW OF REPORT

• THE 2008 GHANA MDG REPORT IS AN IMPROVEMENT ON PREVIOUS REPORTS HOWEVER,

• THE SECTIONS ON GOAL 3 PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN WAS POORLY ARTICULATED

• SECTION ON IMPROVING MATERNAL HEALTH DID NOT DO JUSTICE TO THE ENORMOUS INITIATIVES BEING UNDERTAKEN. DATA ON THESE EXIST BUT WERE NOT UTILISED IN REPORTING

• THERE ARE SEVERAL GAPS IN THE INFORMATION PRESENTED.

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RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE FUTURE REPORTS

• NEED TO IMPROVE FORMATTING OF GRAPHS AND CHARTS TO BRING THE REPORT TO ACCEPTED INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

• THERE IS THE NEED TO ADD MORE EXPLANATIONS AND INFORMATION WHICH HAS BEEN ALREADY BEEN COMPILED TO GIVE A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF ISSUES BEEN PRESENTED.

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THANK YOU