“Keep the Promise: Millennium Development Goals”

We are please to share with you the summary of “Keep the Promise: Millennium Development Goals” publication released on UN Day, 24^th October, 2011 (Available at: ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/clmt/resource/res_info_04111101.pdf (PDF; 2.35 MB)):

MDG 1

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Case studies:

· Volunteers of a village in Orissa, monitor the supply of rations to Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS) Programme of the Government of India. It is done through mobile phones which have empowered beneficiaries to track and demand their genuine entitlements.

· Women workers registered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme of the Government of India obtain job cards at a biometric powered information centre in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. The UN has supported innovations to improve transparency and accountability through ICT technologies and social audits.

· The UN assisted Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) clusters in Orissa enable producers to share resources, lower costs and take up joint activities that enable generation of additional income which would not have been possible otherwise.

Opportunities in India

Providing livelihood and access to food for all is essential in order to meet this goal. Increased opportunities for education, training and employment will ensure that youth contribute in a positive manner to society.

MDG2

Achieve Universal Primary Education

Case Studies:

· Mahila Shiksha Kendras are residential schools started by Mahila Samakhya, a joint initiative of the Government of India, the Government of Bihar and the UN, aimed at providing comprehensive basic education to girls.

· Oxfam India seeks to work towards the effective implementation of the Right to Education Act and existing government programmes through community groups and its network in its focused states. It has so far demonstrated that even primary government schools can improve with parent participation and better academic support. It was highlighted that well managed schools not only attract and retain students but could also provide them with a meaningful education. There has been a significant improvement in the proportion of school enrolment of children from socially disadvantaged groups.

Opportunities in India

The Right to Education Act provides the platform to reach the unreached.

MDG 3

Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

Case Studies:

· The UN supports initiatives to help marginalized groups such as women in particular to participate more effectively in decision making through capacity development, especially in the political arena.

Opportunities in India

The percentage of women in the national parliament was only 10.3 % in 2009. The Women’s Empowerment Bill needs to be passed by parliament to ensure adequate representation of women in elected office at all levels of Governance.

MDG 4

Reduce Child Mortality

Case Studies:

· The European Union through its programme in Chhattisgarh supports various education and health programs in the state. In particular, the Mitanin (Friendly Health Worker) programme has proved to be very successful in service delivery by reaching out to the communities.

· World Vision in partnership with anganwadi workers provided outreach services to poor families in need of immunization, healthy food, clean water, clean toilets and a learning environment.

Opportunities in India

A simple treatment of zinc tablets and oral rehydration salts can prevent diarrhea deaths. The habit of washing hands with soap prior to cooking and eating needs to be inculcated as it will reduce the incidence of diarrhea and also associated under-nutrition.

MDG 5

Improve Maternal Health

Case Studies:

· Building on the success of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the UN supported health programmes such as the Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHND), to reach out to pregnant women, ensuring that they receive essential check-ups and sensitizing them to the need and importance of institutional deliveries to improve maternal health.

· Effectiveness of public private partnership and community engagement in improving the lives of disempowered is demonstrated in the maternal and child health outreach camps by the Urban Health Resource Centre. Camps have been conducted in partnership with District Health Department, women’s health groups and private doctors in slum clusters of Agra.

Opportunities in India

Around 50% of maternal deaths occur because of haemorrahage and sepsis. Delivery by trained professional personnel particularly through institutional facilities could ensure safe motherhood.

MDG 6

Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases

Case Studies:

· The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) is supporting NGOs to run Oral Substitution Treatment (OST) centre to provide dose of Buprenorphine for treatment of addiction. This helps prevent spread of HIV among drug users.

· Pahal, an NGO is providing sustainable livelihood option for transgender people. It has established “Pahal’s Beauty Parlour” at Faridabad, Haryana staffed by members of the transgender community.

Opportunities in India

With the expansion of Revised National TB Control Programme to the entire country the prevalence of TB has declined from 586 per 100,000 in 1990 to 283 per 100,000 in 2007. It is now imperative to reduce this level further in the years ahead.

MDG 7

Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Case Studies:

· The DHAN Foundation rehabilitated a previously defunct Oorani (traditional drinking water pond) leading to resuming of farming and revival of Kudimaramathu (the traditional water conservation and management practice). The rehabilitation was conducted under the Vayalagam Programme for conservation of small-scale water bodies and revival of management of local tank system. 500,000 irrigation tanks and Orranis have been rehabilitated in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar.

· Innovative “Play Pump” is being used in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh to lift water from rainwater harvesting tanks.

Opportunities in India

The living conditions of slum dwellers could be improved by better community management, building toilets, extending water supply, sewerage networks to slum areas and utilizing renewable energy sources as over 80 million poor people live in the cities and towns in India and a majority of them in slums.

MDG 8

Global Partnership for Development

Case Studies:

· Through the IT for change project, women field associates are able to interview Self-Help Group members for ‘Kelu Sakhi’ a radio programme at a Centre for Community Informatics in Mysore, Karnataka. Field associates had no computer skills a year ago but understood all the nuances of radio, video recording, editing and packaging.

· UN supported training of instructors at Tuga learning centre in a remote town of Kutch, Gujarat, using information and communication technologies. The centre provides creative and interactive education for young girls from the village using educational software.

Opportunities in India

The government is planning to provide internet connectivity to all villages and expand the internet subscriber base to 100 million by 2014. The Tele-density increased from 0.67 % in 1991 to 36.98 % by 2009 is a tremendous opportunity for the UN to expand its reach.

For More Information Contact:

Ramesh Kumar Jalan, Ph.D.

Resource Person & Moderator

Climate Change Community, Solution Exchange,

United Nations Development Programme

55, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi-110003, India

Tel: +91-11-46532383 Fax: +91-11-24627612

www.solutionexchange-un.net.in