Cooperation, funding needed to reach development goals
July 26 - August 1, 2010
Children at Basic Education Primary School (1) Kyauktada pose for a photograph earlier this month. Universal primary education is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals. Pic: Seng Mai
INCREASED cooperation and investment in education and health are needed for Myanmar to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, an advisor to the UN said earlier this month.
Dr Aung Tun Thet, a senior advisor to the UN’s resident humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar, said the government, civil society groups and non-government organisations needed to work together more closely to achieve the goals by the 2015 target.
He said increased investment in the social sector – including health and education – would be a critical factor, as low-cost healthcare and universal education would ease the financial burden on families.
The goals include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; the achievement of universal primary education; promotion of gender equality and empowering women; reduced child mortality; improved maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and the creation of a global partnership for develop-ment.
In an interview with news agency AFP last month, UN Development Program administrator Helen Clark said “it would be tough” for Myanmar to eradicate extreme poverty and meet other global development goals by the 2015 target, in part because of the politics of aid donors.
Myanmar receives among the lowest levels of development assistance.
Dr Aung Tun Thet said key stakeholders should consider what the country needs to do to attain the development targets, instead of merely debating them. He recommended wider surveys and research to assess where the country stands economically, socially, politically and environmentally.
“We need to know our country’s situation to formulate good policies to meet the development goals by 2015,” he said.
“We also need to a national movement to achieve those goals. The government is striving to achieve these goals and civil society and the public should work together as well.”
Mr Belete Temesgen, World Vision’s director for program quality and development in Myanmar, said his organisation would continue to cooperate with the government “towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals”.
“And we appeal to international donors to increase funding for Myanmar, especially in areas of need such as maternal and child health,” he said.
Mr Temesgen said World Vision, which operates in the livelihood, education and health sectors, is focusing on maternal and child health and is working with the Ministry of Health and government health personnel to address these issues. He said World Vision is collaborating with communities to reduce child mortality through immunisation as well as training health volunteers and midwives to teach communities to recognise symptoms of pneumonia, diarrhoea, HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis.
World Vision is also improving access to basic health services by helping communities to build health centres, he said.
Dr Aung Tun Thet said new resources from the Global Fund would provide a boost to efforts to meet the goals, particularly in terms of antiretroviral treatment (ART) access for people with HIV.
The Global Fund Board announced late last year it would provide up to US$110 million to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis over the next two years, a figure that could rise to as much as $290 million if the grant is extended to the five-year maximum.
“I think the return of Global Fund [resources] will be a big contributor towards helping Myanmar achieve [the Millenium Development Goals],” he said.
He also stressed the importance of environmental sustainability and disaster prevention in formulating policy.
When Cyclone Nargis struck in May 2008 it claimed more than 138,000 lives and left as many as two million homeless.
“We need to be aware of climate change and environmental problems. We are now working to replace non-reusable plastic bags with more environmentally friendly ones,” he said.
