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Zimbabwe Millennium Developmnet Goals Progress Report 2012
Zimbabwe Millennium Developmnet Goals Progress Report 2012
October 28, 2013
The 2012 Zimbabwe MDG Progress Report was made possible through a participatory consultative process involving Government ministries, United Nations agencies, international organisations, private sector partners, academia and research institutions and civil society organisations.
Based on the latest data available and through an analysis of the trends of the eight MDGs, as well as the current supportive environment, this report assesses the likelihood for the achievement of each MDG target. In sum, out of a total of 21 targets, four targets are likely to be achieved by the 2015 deadline; six targets can potentially be achieved; while eleven targets are unlikely to be achieved.
Positive trends are mainly found in MDG2 on universal primary education, MDG3 concerning gender equality in schools and MDG6 on HIV and AIDS. Some of the largest MDG challenges that the country faces are in MDG1: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, and MDG5: improve maternal mortality, where all the targets under these goals are unlikely to be met by the 2015 deadline.
Highlights
- The economy is growing, but poverty is not declining proportionately
- Primary school net enrolment is high, but greater effort is needed to improve completion rates
- Zimbabwe has achieved gender parity at primary and secondary school levels, but the proportion of women in decision-making positions is still very low
- Although infant and child mortality rates have gradually declined, better immunisation and water and sanitation programmes are pivotal to achieving the necessary dramatic reductions
- The number of mothers dying has increased in recent years due to lower rates of attended births and the higher costs of healthcare
- HIV/AIDS remains a serious public health problem, but Zimbabwe is making good progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, with rates of infection falling
- While Zimbabwe remains a net carbon sink and has developed robust legislation, most Zimbabweans still rely on illegally extracted natural resources such as firewood, thereby increasing deforestation
- Zimbabwe has made gains in stabilising international relations and increasing telecommunications, although there is still work to be done in managing the debt burden
