The report released Tuesday indicates that Nepal is well on course to meet its target on poverty reduction. Going by MDGs, Nepal needs to bring down the proportion of population below national poverty line to 21 percent by 2015. [break]
The report, however, expresses concerns over persistent disparity between rural and urban poverty. According to the report, poverty prevalence in urban and rural areas stands at 8 and 22 percent respectively in 2010. Poverty reduction rate in urban areas is higher at 20 percent, whereas in rural areas it is 18 percent.
Likewise, the report says that poverty in the midwestern region has dropped to 37.4 percent in 2009 from 44.8 percent in 2004. Poverty prevalence in the central and the Kathmandu Valley also dropped to 22.3 percent and 1.9 percent respectively in 2009, from 27.1 percent and 3.3 percent in 2004.
“This reflects we have made significant progress in reducing poverty. However, high disparity among different regions, castes, genders and ethnicities still remains a matter of concern,” said Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, the vice chairman of the National Planning Commission.
The report notes that Nepal has made significant progress toward reducing child mortality and improving maternal health as well.
According to the report, country´s infant mortality rate (IMR) has dropped to 41 per 1000 live births in 2010 from 109 in 1990. Under-five mortality rate (U5MR) has also plunged to 50 per 1,000 live births, down from 162 over the last two decades. Maternal mortality has also dropped by almost four-fold to 229 per 100,000, from 850 in 1990.
Under MDGs, Nepal has committed to bring down IMR and U5MR to 36 and 54 per 1,000 births respectively by 2015.
On target related to universal primary education, Nepal has achieved 93.7 percent progress and parity in the enrollment of boys and girls has also narrowed down over the period.
However, Pokharel said that Nepal is less likely to achieve the MDG´s target on ensuring universal access to reproductive health, halving proportion of population living without sustainable access to improved sanitation and access to employment.
“Enhancing employment opportunities and reducing social exclusion remain major challenges. The well-being of people hit hard by discrimination, exclusion, poverty and unemployment is a major concern,” Pokharel added.
Robert Piper, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, lauded Nepal for the progress made particularly in child and maternity health sectors.
Related story
Nepal’s progress in industries, infrastructure and start-ups du...
-1781882999.webp)
