Zimbabwe To Miss Most MDGs – World Bank

In a report called “Building knowledge and enhancing capacity” for the year 1990 to 2015, the Washington-based World Bank said Zimbabwe was unlikely to reach its targets. There are eight MDGs which Zimbabwe has pledged to meet by 2015.

The World Bank said Zimbabwe’s poverty level had actually worsened between 1990 and 2003 as the country experienced an economic downturn, which began in 1999. “The share of people below the food poverty line almost doubled, indicating an increase in the number of people who cannot meet their minimum daily dietary requirements,” the report said. “Also the malnutrition levels among children of age five and below increased according to some estimates.”

The World Bank, in its report, said Zimbabwe, however appears to be on track to reach universal primary education by 2015. “Zimbabwe has been riding on its past success and more efforts are required for improving quality of its education system,” the Washington DC-based group said.

It said as far as gender promotion and equality is concerned 2015 would face numerous challenges.

The country would do well to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and its works against HIV-Aids would boost national coffers.
Zimbabwe, the report said, would also win the battle against malaria and other diseases.

It said progress had been made in combating malaria and HIV-Aids.

“UN official estimates suggest that HIV-Aids prevalence among young pregnant women has declined and clinical incidence of malaria cases has dropped as well,” the report said. “At the same time tuberculosis cases have been rising albeit at a slower pace in recent years. Overall, this MDG is likely to be achieved but difficulties remain.”

The World Bank pointed out that as far as ensuring that there was environmental sustainability, Zimbabwe was”off track”.

“The country is making rapid progress prior to the onset of economic difficulties that began in late 1990s,” the report said. “Since then access to water and sanitation indicators point to a deterioration of the situation in both urban and rural areas. Housing poses challenges as well.”