MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs) At the end of the 20 th century, government around the world agreed on a set of common goals for developing countries, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).These goals pave the way forward, from that period to the year 2015, to cut world poverty by half with the accomplishment of these goals, billions of people can benefit from the global economy while tens of millions of lives can be saved. The MDGs are eight set of goals that respond to the world s main development challenges. The goals are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets are measured by 60 indicators. The goals are 1:Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger,2: Achieve universal primary education,3:promote gender equality and empower women,4:reduce child mortality,5:improve maternal health, 6: combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases,7:ensure environmental sustainability and 8:Develop a global partnership for development. Some efforts that the government of Ghana has made to achieve the first 4 MDGs are as follows. 1: ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER Ghana is largely on track in achieving MDG target 1 at reducing by half the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty. The overall poverty rate has declined substantially over the past decades which indicate that the set target could be achieved well ahead of the 2015 target. Similarly the proportion of the population living below the extreme poverty line declined from 36.5 % to 18.2% over the same period against the 2015 target of 19%. Therefore the government is putting in some efforts to make these MDGs achievable. Unemployment rate in the country is very high hence the government has implemented policies like the national youth employment program, which is under the ministry of youth and sports and seeks the welfare of people who are unemployed especially the youth between the ages of 18 35 years. This aims at empowering Ghanaians youth so they could add positively to the socio economic and sustainable development of the nation. For literates, illiterates, the able and disabled. It has about nine modules which train unemployment youth for gaining employmet and also sub modules under ICT, oil and gas industry and agriculture. In February 2011, a new three year strategy was implemented under new modules. Which was estimated to engage 40,000 youth by the end of 2013, all these efforts are been put into place to help eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger to improve standard of living. On other hand, the government has allowed and also legalized the establishment of micro finances to help eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The efforts made by these micro finances include lending capital for entrepreneurs with the capital needed to operate and expand their businesses. Indeed, having a reliable source of credit allows micro entrepreneurs to better their business when there are even disasters such as fire, flood or accidents. A good example is when there was a fire outbreak at the makola market; some micro finances gave the victims loans at less interest rate to help re-establish them. Also they help reduce poor people s vulnerability, access to credit savings and insurance can help them to smooth cash flow and avoid periods when access to food, clothing, and shelter is lost. Micro finances can make it easier to manage shocks such as sickness, theft, fire outbreaks etc. when this happens it helps to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger in the country because people get help from these micro finances to bounce back on their feet again. 2: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL EDUCATION Ghana has made significant improvements particularly in the areas of basic school enrolment and the country is on track in achieving both the gross and net enrolment targets of 100% by 2015. The government of Ghana has made efforts to achieve universal primary education. Some efforts the government has made to achieve universal primary education are building new schools in deprived areas, expansion of teacher training colleges. To begin with, we would like to talk about government building schools in deprived areas to help achieve universal primary education. The government of Ghana saw that to achieve universal basic primary education in the whole country there must be school buildings in every community; children must not walk for long distance to attend school. When this happens some children feel reluctant in going to school so in one way or the other find excuses to drop out of school. So the government made effort to build more schools in deprived areas.the government has completed the construction, rebuilding and rehabilitation of 4254 structures including 44.4 unit accommodations for teachers. The government Is also actively engaged in the process of building new schools blocks to replace schools in sub standards structures in 1900 communities mostly deprived areas. This has improved the environment in which children learn and enabled classes to be held all year round. Secondly the government of Ghana has made an effort to expand teacher training colleges in the
country. The government of Ghana has taken upon themselves to upgrade the 38 teacher training colleges to tertiary level institutions. This is a move to improve the content of courses offered and to strengthen pedagogy. Related to this, is the development of a new professional development policy. This will give teachers the opportunity to engage in continuous learning on the job and enhance competency in their chosen areas as well as in delivery of lessons. This policy involves the conduct of in- service training programs in which teachers will earn credits for career promotions and appointment study leave.distance education and sandwich courses. 3: GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Gender equality also known as sex equality or sexual equality simply implies that men and women should receive equal treatment, unless there is a sound biological reason for different treatment. Efforts that Ghana has taken to achieve these goal are scholarship for girl child education, women in political positions and so on. The master card foundation a Toronto based independent global organization is assisting the campaign for female education in Ghana ( CAMFED Ghana ) with $41.7 million to support 4000 senior high school(shs) and 2000 girls through tertiary education in Ghana. This shows how important the girl child education is important to Ghana. Under master card foundation /CAMFED Ghana partnership, the first class of 70 tertiary scholars have gained admission for the 2013 academic year to a number of partner tertiary institution while the 1 st class of 720 secondary scholars will join the program for 2013/2014 academic year of selected Ghana education service category r and B senior high schools in the central, northern, upper east and upper west regions. If we get less than 80 women in parliament, we may not achieve the MDG s since next year s election will be the last general election to be held before the MDG deadline of 2015. This statement was made by Mr. Frank Wilson Bodzo in 2008. He was the program officer, governance of women in Law and development in Africa (WiLDAF, Ghana). Out of the 133 who contested for 102 parliamentary seats only 29, that is 21.8% have been sworn in as legitimate parliamentarian. Four came from Ashanti region, two from Brong Ahafo, five from Central, three from Eastern, eight from greater Accra( the highest region to have women in politics),one each from the Northern, Upper East and Western Region, four from Volta. In total NPP had 16 and NDC 13, the government of Ghana was able to get 29 women in parliament thus
21.8%, even though it was not up to the required number before 2015, I think government has done very well as compared to the result in 2008 to 2012. Out of the total 228 occupied by the first sitting of parliament, only 20 (8.7) were occupied by women with the rest being men. 4: REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY Reducing child mortality rate in Ghana has been a big blow and as at now government is trying its possible best to reduce child mortality, child mortality also known as the under 5 mortality refers to the death of infants and children under age 5, 6.6 million children under age 5 recorded to be dead in 2012. Almost 70% of all child death in Ghana are attributed to just six conditions, that is neonatal causes, pneumonia, malaria, measles and HIV/AIDS. The aim of government is to cut child mortality by two thirds by 2015. Efforts have been made by the government to reduce child mortality. some efforts been taking are, the government has provided two thirds of hospitals in Ghana with credible and reliable health facilities in 2010, government took upon himself to re structure the entire children s department of korle-bu teaching hospital,37 military hospital and tema clinic. There was a little delay but when it was done fewer records were made and Tema general hospital didn t record anything for the first three months. Government provided safe treated nets in all the wards to reduce the rate at which malaria was stealing God s gift to mankind. Another effort made by the government to reduce child mortality is increasing skilled personnel, skilled personnel s are accredited health professionals who possess the knowledge and a defined set of cognitive and practical skills that enables them to grant safe and effective health care at all times. Government made plans to increase the number of skilled health personnel in the country because that was also a factor that will help in reducing child mortality, Government made the job more attractive to the young medical students coming, government was also able to increase the number of students at the medical schools and also provided the brilliant but needy students scholarships. Government was able to increase the skilled health personnel by a whopping 42% after one year of putting measures in place. When there are many health personnel s in the system they will help reduce child mortality by helping in the delivery of children. In Ghana births attended by skilled personnel in percentage of birth is 55%. IN CONCLUSION
. The progress towards achieving the MDGs in Ghana is mixed. MDGs 1 and 2 have made significant progress and Ghana is likely to attain them by the target year 2015. Goal 6 is potentially achievable; goals 3 and 7 are likely to be partially achieved, while goals 4 and 5 are unlikely to be achieved despite showing marginal improvements.