Ghana’s Attainment Of Millennium Devt Goals In Doubt

Ghana is unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, says the 2005 Social Watch Report launched last Friday in Accra.

The report, which is made up of country reports by civil society organisations from 51 countries worldwide, assesses the socio-economic situation and how successful policy interventions have performed.

Ghana's country report analyses gender-related dimensions of poverty in relating to employment, income, education and finds that policy intervention, especially the Ghana poverty reduction strategy (GPRS), had not been very successful in addressing such problems, which have made poverty more prevalent.

The eight MDGs aim at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal education, promoting gender equality and women's empowerment, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, to ensure environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.

Among other things, the report pointed out that the GPRS had been less than successful and identified various factors which had hindered efforts at poverty reduction in the country.

Launching the report, which is being launched in various countries, Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, executive director of Abantu for Development, called on the Government to take special interest in the funding of the report.