Kenya gets thumps up on MDGs score

United Nations Development Programme Economic Adviser Wilmot Reeves addresses the press on Millenium Goal Development in Kenya and post- 2015 Development Agenda in Nairobi yesterday. Photo/HELLEN MUTURI

As the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) fast approaches, Kenya has been identified as one of the countries that have registered significant progress despite prevailing challenging conditions. However, goals Four and Five, on reducing child mortality and improving maternal health, have had their fair share of challenges, lagging behind compared to the others.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Economic Adviser Wilmot Reeves said the two, are some of the major goals the country has faced challenges implementing and the likelihood to fully meet the 2015 target might pose a challenge.
But UN in collaboration with the government came up with MDGs acceleration framework and action plan, which focused on maternal and neonatal health, which has resonated well with the First Lady’s Beyond Zero Campaign to ensure no woman and child dies of preventable causes.
Most maternal deaths are as a result of causes directly related to pregnancy, unsafe abortion and obstetric complications such as bleeding, infection and obstructed labour, among others.
“To ensure all expectant mothers are safe and access quality health services, the government abolished user fees in all public hospitals and clinics. Mothers are encouraged to deliver in the nearest maternity facility under the supervision of skilled health workers,” said the UN agencies. Reeves said maternal mortality have remained high at 488 deaths per 100,000 live births an increase from 414 per 100,000 live births in 2003.
On the overall, Reeves said Kenya has made significant progress but has to deal with the “unfinished business” as focus now shifts towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the country level.
“The process for the adoption of the SDG has already started. The MDGs have been embedded into the 17 SDGs, which means the unfinished business of the MDGs will be taken forward,” he said.
On poverty eradication, Reeves said strides have been made, although the government does not have a recent survey to determine the rate, statistics showed that the poverty level stood at 52.3 per cent in 2000 but the number dropped to 45.2 per cent in 2014 while a more recent report by World Bank put it at a decreased figure of 34.8 per cent. Reeve said Kenya is one of the countries that is almost achieving Goal Two, universal primary education.