Namibia close to reaching some MDGs

Namibia's recently released second MDG Report 2008 finds that the country is making progress toward achieving some of the U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. However, the Prime Minister says the global economic situation could reverse progress and notes that the country is behind on some health-related targets, New Era reports.

The report says the country has achieved goals pertaining to the reduction of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in people between the ages of 15 and 19 years old, malaria incidence and others. "These targets fall under MDGs relating to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases," New Era writes.

Prime Minister Nahas Angula said the country must focus on education, agriculture and health in order to achieve other MDG targets. He highlighted the need to focus on primary health care, malnutrition, sanitation and maternal health.

The report noted that Namibia likely will not reach the MDG targets for maternal and infant mortality. "Something must be done. Even if it means training young people to train their fellow young women on prenatal care and Traditional Birth Attendant to assist with deliveries, we should do it," Angula said.

Acting U.N. Resident Coordinator Joyce Mends-Cole said the global economic situation "will directly affect" efforts to achieve MDG targets. "In comparison with past performance, the poor unemployment picture suggests that the rate of progress will even be slower," she said (New Era, 6/23).