The dramatic surge in food prices has plunged millions of poor people and many net food importing poor countries into a food crisis. Consequently, it has also put at risk their chances of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Whilst the focus has been on the impact on the MDG1 of reducing poverty and hunger, given the close inter-connectedness between all the 8 MDGs, the impact on these sections of the poor on health, education and livelihoods more broadly, cannot be underestimated.
Under the heading “Deepening local democratic governance to eradicate poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals," the delegates to the Forum discussed potential ways of strengthening the role of Local Authorities both in the North and the South in the achievement of the MDGs.
Despite the impressive progress made by Asia-Pacific nations over the past decade in economic growth, 1.5 billion people in the region still live on less than two U.S. dollars a day, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Thursday.
The statement was made as ADB representatives are highlighting the continuing prevalence of poverty in the region during discussions over the replenishment of the Asian Development Fund, an endowment used to provide grants and low-interest loans to some of Asia and the Pacific’s poorest nations.
The views below are those of Wada na Todo Abhiyan, a national coalition of 3000 organisations and networks in India.
Despite the rhetorical recognition of the ‘twin pillars of the edifice of social sector reforms’, the UPA government has failed to take the historic opportunity to revamp the educational and health infrastructure of the country, even in the fourth consecutive budget of its government.
Every minute a woman dies due to complications in pregnancy or
childbirth, adding up to half a million women dying every year. Another
10-15 million women suffer serious or long-lasting illnesses or
disabilities.
“No woman should die giving life,” said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.
“To have a healthy society, you have to have healthy mothers.”
In many countries, however, progress in maternal health has been slow.
In some, the situation has actually deteriorated over the last 20 years.
