Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (May 16, 2011) – The Second MDG Progress Report of the Kyrgyz Republic “is being launched at an opportune time with less than five years until the MDG deadline of 2015,” says Helen Clark, the United Nations Development Programme Administrator, at the report’s official launch ceremony today in Bishkek. The Millennium Development Goals enshrined in the Millennium Declaration adopted by the world community in 2000 have been guiding the country’s development agenda setting the milestones for decision makers since then.
The report suggests that the Kyrgyz Republic has made a progress on the MDGs related to eradication of extreme poverty, environmental sustainability and a global partnership for development. The country managed to reduce extreme poverty from 32.9 percent in 2000 to 3.1 in 2009 when the national “extreme poverty” line has been defined as 32 soms a day per an individual. Near universal access to save drinking water is a reality today in Kyrgyzstan with over ninety percent of the population having access to potable water. Universal primary education has been reached and gender inequalities in educational attainments have been eliminated. But the situation cannot be deemed sustainable as yet due to the unstable situation in global markets and the lack of sustainability in the development of some sectors of the Kyrgyz economy. They can jeopardize the progress achieved so far.
The challenges on the way to the MDGs related to child mortality, maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS remain serious. In particular, the country has to solve issues of child and maternal mortality, and HIV/AIDS. Under-five child mortality rate was 37 per 1,000 live births in 2009, and even if it had substantially declined from 2009, maternal mortality was at 51.5 cases per 100,000 live births in 2010. Also, even if the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is less than one percent in Central Asia, annual increases in newly detected HIV cases in Kyrgyzstan averaged 42.9 percent between 2006 and 2009.
Against this backdrop, the United Nations country team is committed to supporting Kyrgyzstan in achieving the MDGs. It has been working with the country’s leadership and civil society hand in hand since the first days of the independence and provided much support to the national development priorities with the ultimate goal of turning the Millennium Development Goals into reality for the people of Kyrgyzstan.
The MDGs are interlinked and mutually reinforcing, which means that pushing hard on one goal can bring about spillover effects for others. “For example, investment in girl’s education not only promotes gender equality, but also contributes to lowering maternal and child mortality, improving educational attainment of the next generation; helps delay the age of marriage and reduces the likelihood of contracting HIV infection. Fundamentally, education empowers those who have it and has transformational effect for individuals, families, communities and nations,” underscores Helen Clark at the launch.
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