Millennium Development Goals: Progress report Lao PDR 2008

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Millennium Development Goals: Progress report Lao PDR 2008

December 19, 2012

The National Millennium Development reports establish guidelines and track progress on the achievement of the MDGs. Since the release of the first MDG Report in 2004, significant progress has been made in many sectors. For instance Lao PDR has bsuccessfully continued its robust economic growth, with real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 7 percent and more.

This 2008 report helps to determine where additional efforts are needed as the Government prepares the 7th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2011-2015. It provides a new framework for the UN and partners but also for the Government to develop the next step of national development planning.

While there can be no doubt that successful poverty reduction is central to achieving the other MDGs, the Report shows that poverty reduction alone is not sufficient to achieve for instance the MDG target on halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

Highlights

  • Poverty in Lao PDR declined steadily from 46 percent to 33 percent during the decade 1992-2002.
  • The literacy rate among young adults (aged 15-24) has increased steadily, from 71 percent in 1995 to 84 percent in 2005. However challenges remain in particular with respect to rural, poor and ethnic children who make up a large proportion of the remaining and the hard-to-reach 15 to 20 percent of the population.
  • The proportion of female members in the National Assembly has increased significantly, from 6 percent in 1990 to 25 percent in 2006; this is among the highest in the region.
  • The maternal mortality ratio is one of the highest in the region, and it is doubtful if Lao PDR can reach the MDG 5 target given the current low levels of investment for maternal health.
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