ContributionbyPakistan

MDGStatusandInitiativesinPakistan
UnitedNationsHighlevelEvent
ontheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)
NewYork,25September2008
PakistanisfullycommittedtoachievetheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs).Thesegoals
havebeenreflectedintheoveralldevelopmentstrategy ofPakistan andembodiedintheMedium
Term Development Framework (MTDF) 200510 and Vision2030, policies, programs and
targetsareoutlinedinseventhemes:Povertyreduction,basicandcollegeeducation,healthand
nutrition interventions, population welfare, water supply & sanitation and sustainable
development.
An overall review of MDGs carried out in 200607 shows that enrollment in primary
schools has increased and the gender inequality in schooling has been reduced. In the Health
sectorthoughtheprogressinunderfivemortality(U5MR)isslow,thepercentageofskilled
birth attendants, doctors and nurses have increased. The Government of Pakistan is also
addressingtheproblemsofTB,MalariaandHIV/AIDSandthe incidenceofpolioeradication.
However, Hepatitis which is indicting a huge population of Pakistan requires to be addressed
effectivelyandholistically.
Pakistan is an early achiever in terms of reducing the percentage of population living
belowthepovertyline.Onthebasisofnationalpovertyline,povertydecreasedto23.9percent
in2005ascomparedto34.5percent in2001.Higheconomicgrowth,targetedprogramme for
povertyreductionandsignificantincreaseof propoorexpenditure,liftedalargenumberofpoor
households out of poverty. The overall program of MDG indicators show that out of 34
indicators adopted, Pakistan is ahead in 7, on track in 16 and lagging in 11 indicators. The
followingtablereflectstheperformanceofPakistanintermsofachievements:
Goals

No.of
Indicators
Adopted
EradiateExtremepovertyandhunger
3
AchieveUniversalPrimaryEducation
3
PromoteGenderEquality&WomenEmpowerment 4
ReduceChildMortality
6
ImproveMentalHealth
5
CombatHIV/AIDS,MalariaandotherDiseases
5
EnsureEnvironmentalSustainability
8
34
Total:

Ahead

On
Track

Lag

1
1
1
1

1
2
7

3
3
1
4
3
16

2
4

3
11

TheGovernmentinPakistan,aspartofitsstrategytointensifyPakistanseffortsforthe
achievementoftheMDGs,hasrecentlytakenthefollowingstepstoaddresstheurgentneedsof
thepoor:
a) First,increasedthesupportpriceforwheattoencouragethesmallfarmerstogrowmore
wheat.
b) Second, liberalized imports to improve the supply situation of essential commodities
especiallydutyfreeimportsofwheat.
c) Third, instituted high level Committees to stabilize and monitor prices of essential
commodities.
d) Fourth,ensuredtheavailabilityofallbasicfooditemsatUtilityStoresCorporationata
cheaperratethantheopenmarketprices.
e) Lastly,providedcashassistanceofRs1,000/permonthto3.4millionpoorhouseholds
underthenewlycreatedBenazirIncomeSupportProgram (BISP)withanallocationof
Rs34billionfor200809.
A brief detailing the efforts and special initiatives taken by Pakistan to promote women
empowermentandgenderequalityisalsoattached.
PerformanceintheidentifiedMDGsisasunder:
Goal:AchieveUniversalPrimaryEducation
There are three indicators relating to the Universal Primary Education (UPE) under
MillenniumDevelopmentGoals.Pakistanhasachievedanetprimaryenrollmentof53percent,
thecompletionsurvivalrateof74percentandanoverallliteracyrateof54percentin200506.
Goal: PromotingGenderEqualityandEmpowerment
AtthenationallevelGPIinprimaryenrollmentsteadilyimprovedfrom0.73to0.82and
to0.82in1990,2001and2005respectively.However,thenationalestimatesmarkconsiderable
interprovincial variations inGPI.Althoughthecountryhas missedthepreferredtargetyearof
2005 to achieve GPI 1.0 in primary and secondary education, the rate of progress is however,
steadilyachievableby2015.
Considerableprogress ineliminatinggenderdisparity inprimaryeducation inthe last7
years is apparent. The numerical analysis indicates that nine districts have already attained the
MDGtargettoparityratioof1.0andanother4districtsarealmostclosetothetarget.Ifthepast
rateofprogressismaintainedandextrapolatedintothefuture,another25districtswillattainthe
parityratio.However,fasttrackinitiatives inthisregardwillensuretheattainmentofparity in
majorityofthedistrictsby2015.

Goal:ReduceChildMortality
Therehasbeenanoverallimprovementintheimmunizationcoverage.Inrelationtothe
national MDG target of greater than 90 per cent set for 2015, nearly 16 districts have already
achieved it, and extrapolating the recent past performance another 50 districts are likely to
achieveitaround2015.
Goal:ImproveMaternalHealth
Reductionofmaternalmortalitybythreequartersbetween19902015isanothertargeted
goal. In addition, as agreed by Heads of Governments in the World Summit Outcome, it also
aims to provide universal access to reproductive health by 2015. According to the results of
Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 200607, the maternal mortality ratio has
decreased to 297 from 350 in 200001 per 100,000 live births. The data implies that
approximately3outof1,000womeninPakistanwilldieofmaternalcausesduringtheirlifetime
(lifetime risk). The following programmes aim to address the problems of maternal
mortalityandaccesstoreproductivehealthinformationandservicesinPakistan
The Lady Health Workers Programme was initiated in 1994 to provide basic health
careservicestowomenontheirdoorsteptherebybridgingthegapbetweenthecommunityand
institutionalizedservices.TheGovernmenthasrecruitedover96,000LHWsinthepastcoupleof
years.In additiontotheWomensHealthproject,which has beenactivesinceJune2000.The
GovernmentofPakistanhasrecentlylauncheditsNationalMaternalandChildHealth(MCH)
Programme.ItisaimedatimprovingaccesstohighqualityandeffectiveMCHservicesforall,
especially the poor and disadvantageous, through the development and implementation of a
sustainableMCHprogrammeatalllevelsofthehealthdeliverysystem.
Goal:CombatHIV/AIDSandotherdiseases
TheprevalenceofHIV/AIDSinthegeneralpopulationisstilllessthan1percentofthe
population and Pakistan is therefore, considered a low prevalence country. However, in some
groupsofthepopulation,whoarevulnerabletoahighdegreeofrisktocontactingthedisease,
thishascrossedthe5percentmark.Malariacontinuestobeanendemicdiseaseinlargeareasof
thecountry.Tuberculosishasbeen,andcontinuestobeamajorcontributortotheoverallburden
of disease in the country. Latest biostatistics indicate that the resistance to the existing
generationofdrugstocombatthediseaseisbeginningtorise,therebypostinggreaterchallenges
toattainingthetarget.
Goal:EnsureEnvironmentalSustainability
Accesstoimproveddrinkingwatersourcesespeciallyforthepoorestofthepoorremains
achallenge. Withthe launchof multibillionrupee,CleanDrinking WaterforAllby2008,
Government of Pakistan has further stepped up efforts to achieve the targets. Pakistans
adaptation of MDG indicator for drinking water coverage defines it, as the proportion of
population (urban and rural) with sustainable access to improved water sources i.e. Pipe and
HandPumpwater.Asperthisdefinition,watersupplyandsanitationcoverageincreasedfrom65
percentand42percentin200405to70percenteachin200708.Detailsofprogressaregiven
below:
3

NameofSector/SubSector

Year200405

Forest cover including State and private

forests/farmlands(%ageoftotallandarea)
No.ofpetrol&dieselvehiclesusingCNG
fuel
Accesstosanitation(national)%
Accesstocleanwater(national)%

4.9

2015 MDG Achievement

Target
ofTargets
6.0
5.20

38,000

920,000

1.7million

42
65

90
93

70
70