MDG achievement - a story of success

Following the UN Millennium Declaration, Bangladesh well-tuned the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into its long-term and mid-term development Plans and now is reaping the benefits of it in different socio-economic arena.   
The latest publication of Bangladesh MDGs Progress Report 2014 shows that Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress in the areas of poverty alleviation, ensuring food security, primary school enrolment, gender parity in primary- and secondary-level education, lowering the infant and under-five mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio, improving immunisation coverage, and reducing the incidence of communicable diseases.
Despite being a densely populated country, Bangladesh could achieve this success as the political authority, particularly at the highest level, championed the cause of fulfilling MDG targets. The international organisations recognised the achievement and awarded Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina for fulfilling the targets of different goals of the MDGs.  
However, there are some areas which need greater attention. These are employment generation, primary school completion and adult literacy rates, creation of decent wage employment for women, presence of skilled health professionals at delivery, forest coverage, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Goal-wise latest MDG progresses of Bangladesh is hereby accounted briefly:
GOAL 1: ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER    
Bangladesh has made commendable progress in respect of eradication of poverty and hunger. It has sustained a GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate of 6+ per cent in recent years that has played a positive role in eradicating poverty. The robust growth has been accompanied by corresponding improvement in several social indicators such as increased life expectancy (70.4 in 2013) and lower fertility rate (2.3 in 2014). Inclusive growth approach has resulted in impressive poverty reduction from 56.7 per cent in 1991-92 to 31.5 per cent in 2010 - the rate of reduction being faster in the present decade than the earlier ones. The latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 shows that the incidence of poverty has declined on an average 1.74 percentage points in Bangladesh during 2000 to 2010 against the MDG target of 1.20 percentage points. The estimated poverty headcount ratio for 2015 is 24.8 per cent and it suggests that the MDG target of halving the population living below the poverty line was achieved by 2012, that is, three years ahead of the 2015 deadline. Bangladesh has already met one of the indicators of target-1 by bringing down the poverty gap ratio to 6.5 per cent against 2015 target of 8.0 per cent. The target of hunger reduction as reflected through underweight of children has already been achieved as 66 per cent of under-five children were underweight in 1990, which come down to 33 per cent in 2014. However, unemployment as well as underemployment is yet dominant among the young people of our country. The absolute number of poor people - 39.2 million in under the upper poverty line and 20.4 million under the lower poverty line, poverty pockets in remote and char areas, reducing income inequality and the low economic participation of women remain as major challenge.  
GOAL 2: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION
Significant progress has been made in increasing equitable access in education (Net Enrolment Ratio or NER: 97.7 per cent), reduction of dropouts, improvement in completion of the cycle, and implementation of a number of quality enhancement measures in primary education. Bangladesh has already achieved gender parity in primary and secondary enrolment. Initiatives have been taken to introduce pre-school education to prepare the children for formal schooling. The government is in the process of implementing a comprehensive National Education Policy (2010) to achieve its objectives. The free distribution of all books to all the students up to class nine, introduction of Primary School Completion (PSC) and Junior School Completion (JSC) examinations, taking examinations timely and announcing results in stipulated times, introducing modern technology for learning are some of the important measures taken by the Government to improve the quality of education in the country. The Constitution of Bangladesh has provision for free and compulsory primary education. The Government nationalised over 36,165 primary schools in 1973 and regularised it under the Primary Education (Taking Over) Act of 1974, and declared 157,724 primary school teachers as government employees.
Bangladesh is a signatory to the World Declaration on Education for All (EFA). The country has formulated National Plan of Action I and II to realise the goals of Education for All. The country has also prepared a Non-formal Education Policy. After four decades, in January 2013, in a landmark announcement, the Prime Minister declared the nationalisation of all non-government primary schools of the country. With a view to spreading and augmenting the quality of education, the government has taken a landmark decision by nationalising 26,193 primary schools from January 2013 and jobs of  104 thousand (1 lakh 4 thousand 776) teachers have also been nationalised.
The challenges under MDG 2 include attaining the targets of primary education completion rate and the adult literacy rate. A large part of the physically and mentally retarded children remains out of the schooling system. Improvement of quality of education is also a challenge at the primary and higher levels that need to be taken care of on priority basis.  
GOAL 3: PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN
Bangladesh has already achieved the targets of gender parity in primary and secondary education at the national level. This positive development has occurred due to some specific public interventions focusing on girl students, such as stipends and exemption of tuition fees for girls in rural areas, and the stipend scheme for girls at the secondary level. The Education Assistance Trust Act, 2012 has been passed and the Education Assistance Trust established by the previous government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to benefit the underprivileged meritorious students. In an effort to overall development through female education and women empowerment, the government has newly introduced Education Trust Fund for students of graduate or equivalent level and allocated Tk. 10 billion (1,000 crore) for FY 2014-15. From the interest of the fund, the government would distribute Taka 751.5 million (75.15 crore) among 1,33,000 thousand (1.33 lakh) female students. Benevolent persons and education lovers have been urged to donate money to this fund and their donation would enjoy tax-waving facility. Bangladesh has made significant progress in promoting the objectives of ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women. There has been steady improvement in the social and political empowerment scenario of women in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Government is committed to attaining the objective of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Beijing Platform for Action and MDGs in conformity with the fundamental rights enshrined in the Bangladesh Constitution. It has adopted the National Policy for Women's Advancement (2011) and a series of programmes for ensuring sustainable development of women. There has been a sharp increase in the number of women parliamentarians elected (20 per cent of total seats in parliament) in the present parliament. In 2015, Bangladesh was awarded the prestigious Women in Parliaments Global Forum award, known as WIP award, for its outstanding success in closing gender gap in the political sphere; Bangladesh ranks 10th out of 142 countries.
GOAL 4: REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY
Bangladesh is on track in meeting the target of this goal measured in three different indicators like under-five mortality rate, infant mortality rate and immunisation against measles. The under-five mortality rate was 151 per 1000 live birth in 1990 which has come down to 41 per 1000 live birth in 2013 and hence achieved the MDG target before the stipulated time. Likewise, the infant mortality rate was 94 per 1000 live birth in 1990 which has reduced to 32 per 1000 live birth in 2013 and hence on the verge of achieving the target of 31 by 2015. The successful programmes for immunisation, control of diarrhoeal diseases and Vitamin A supplementation are considered to be the most significant contributors to the decline in child and infant deaths along with potential effect of overall economic and social development. Bangladesh is a global leader in developing low-cost interventions such as the use of zinc in the treatment of childhood diarrhoea, oral rehydration solution, delivery kits, tetanus vaccinations for pregnant women, and iodised salt. These interventions have been rolled out locally, scaled up and even used in other developing countries. Bangladesh's strong emphasis on childhood immunisation has resulted in almost universal access.
Despite these improvements, there are challenges ahead. While the mortality rates have improved, major inequalities among the population segments still need to be addressed.
GOAL 5: IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH
According to Bangladesh Maternal Mortality Survey (BMMS), The Maternal Mortality Ratio has declined from 574 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 170 per in 2013, showing a 70 per cent decline in the last 23 years. The average rate of decline from the base year has been about 3.06 per cent per year, compared with the average annual rate of reduction of 3.0 per cent required for achieving the MDG in 2015. The overall proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel increased by more than eight-folds in the last two decades, from 5.0 per cent in 1991 to 42 per cent in 2014. In the same duration, the antenatal care coverage (at least one visit) has increased 51 percentage points; 27.5 per cent in 1993-94 to 78.6 per cent in 2014. The government has framed the National Health Policy, 2011' with a view to revamping the health sector and the 'National Population Policy 2012' has also been finalised. Moreover, in order to strengthen primary healthcare facilities, the government has launched 12,979 community clinics to expand health services to the grassroots level in rural areas. The innovative idea to use the Information and Communication Technology for progress of the health of women and children has already been acclaimed by the world.
GOAL 6: COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES
Bangladesh has performed well in halting communicable diseases under this goal. Available data show that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh currently is less than 0.1 per cent and thus is still below an epidemic level. According to National AIDS/STD Programmes (NASP), condom use rate at last high risk sex was 43 per cent in 2013. Proportion of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS is 17.70 per cent in 2013. There was a significant improvement in the reduction of malarial deaths in the country over the years. The prevalence of malaria per 100,000 population was 776.9 in 2008, which has come down to 434 in 2014. The MIS data of National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) show that the proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets in 13 high risk malaria districts was 81 per cent in 2008 which has increased to 92 per cent in 2014. The proportion of children under-5 with fever that is treated with appropriate anti-malarial drugs was 60 per cent in 2008, which was recorded at 99.92 per cent in 2014 and has already achieved MDG target. The death rate associated with TB was 61 per 100,000 population in 1990. The current status is 51 in 2014. The overall TB case notification rate was 53 per 100,000 population in 2014. The NTP adopted the DOTS strategy and started its field implementation in November 1993. The programme has been maintaining over 90 per cent treatment success rate since 2006, and has successfully treated 92 per cent of the new smear-positive cases registered in 2014.
GOAL 7: ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
At present there is only 13.40 per cent of land in Bangladesh having tree cover with density of 30 per cent and above and the area having tree cover is much lower than the target set for 2015 (20 per cent). Since 1991, there has been a steady increase in CO2 emission in Bangladesh because of increasing development interventions and activities. In 2005, the emission was 0.32 tonne per capita. At present the proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected is 1.81 per cent and 1.34 per cent respectively which is much less than the target of 5 per cent. Data show that without considering the issue of arsenic contamination, 97.9 per cent of the population of Bangladesh is using improved drinking water source; 56 per cent of population is using improved sanitation in 2012-2013. However, access to safe water for all is a challenge, as arsenic and salinity intrusion as a consequence of climate change fall out will exacerbate availability of safe water especially for the poor.   
GOAL 8: DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT
During the last 24 years, Bangladesh, on an average, received US$ 1,736 million ODA (official development assistance) per year (Grants: US$ 635 million, Loans: US$ 1,101 million). The disbursed ODA as a proportion of Bangladesh's GDP has declined from 5.59 per cent in FY 90-91 to 1.78 per cent in FY 13-14. During the same period, per capita ODA disbursement saw fluctuating figures ranging from US$ 19.79 to US$ 7.60. Out of 34-member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), nine countries provided US$ 748.02 million ODA to Bangladesh in 2013-14. The amount was about 24.25 per cent of the total ODA received by Bangladesh in that particular year. It is well known that resource constraint is one of the major impediments to achieving all the MDGs. The GED (General Economics Division) publication of "MDG Financing Strategy for Bangladesh" estimated that US$ 78.2 billion is required for attaining all the MDGs in Bangladesh during 2011-15. According to the study, Bangladesh needs foreign assistance of US$ 5.0 and US$ 3.0 billion per year under the business as usual and high growth scenarios respectively. However, the MDG Progress Report 2014 reveals that from 1990-91 to 2013-14, Bangladesh, on an average, received US$ 1.74 billion ODA per year, which has been far short of the required US$ 3.0 billion per year assuming attaining high growth regimes.
The encouraging factor is that the MDGs sectors like education, health, social welfare, labour, public administration and social infrastructure together with agriculture and rural development was in an increasing trend in getting net ODA and it constituted around 51 per cent of the total ODA outlay received from 1990-91 to 2013-14. Apart from domestic source of financing, the development partners should have generously supported Bangladesh's endeavour for achieving the targets set under the MDGs and also for forthcoming SDGs.
Professor Shamsul Alam is Member (Senior Secretary), General Economics Division, Bangladesh Planning Commission.  He led the preparation of the Sixth Five-Year Plan of Bangladesh (2011-5) and currently is leading the preparation of the Seventh Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) which is at final stage now. In preparing this evaluation paper research support was provided by MD. Monirul Islam, Deputy Chief, GED, Planning Commission.
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