2010 MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN LESOTHO

Here-below is the link to the current status on each MDG:

As part of the preparations for 2010 MDG Summit, the UN System in Lesotho supported the Government in preparing a comprehensive update on the status of the  Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Lesotho.  The MDG Status update presents a summary of key information about the MDGs, including:

• aggregated and disaggregated trends of progress in the MDGs,

• inequalities requiring special attention,

• key challenges and bottlenecks implementation that impede progress,

• impact of new realities, such as the economic crisis and climate change on the MDGs.

The UN MDG Task Force worked intensively with the Bureau of Statistics (BoS), the Government’s nodal point on MDGs, to produce this report. The relevant line Ministries assisted in gathering, reviewing and organizing data, as well as listing bottlenecks, challenges and document gaps. The result was a clear picture of where information gaps exist regarding MDGs, which is valuable for the Government and stakeholders in recognizing where additional information gathering needs to be done to improve the capacity to measure and monitor progress on the MDGs.

Lesotho’s economy is highly open, with imports amounting to about 90 per cent of GDP. It has limited natural resources and a narrow production and export base. The country has traditionally been highly dependent on inflows of workers’ remittances and receipts from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). This situation is however changing as a consequence of the global economic downturn and the government’s budget in the coming years will be considerably constrained, which will make progress on the MDGs more difficult.

Despite some notable achievements – including an almost 84 per cent primary school enrollment rate, one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa – Lesotho faces numerous development challenges. Chief amongst these is the high prevalence of HIV& AIDS, which is the third highest in the world at 23.6 per cent of the adult population. HIV is the single greatest obstacle to the achievement of the MDGs. Poverty is widespread with more than half of the population living below the poverty line. With limited arable land and subsistence level farming, 25per cent of the population in Lesotho is vulnerable to food insecurity. Lesotho’s social indicators worsened rapidly over the last decade because of increased mortality and reduced incomes associated with HIV&AIDS-related deaths. Lesotho’s position in the UNDP human development ranking fell steadily from 134 out of 174 countries in 1995 (1998 HDR) to 156 out of 182 in 2007 (2009, HDR).

Lesotho’s progress on the MDGs is mixed.  While there is some progress, for example, in education through a concerted and deliberate strategy led by Government, other areas are showing enormous challenges.  Even where there is progress, it will require care to ensure a sustained focus on those areas that are showing good progress. The overall status of MDGs is as follows:

1.  HIV/AIDS constitutes an alarming threat to Lesotho and its people, since it is an impediment to the country’s economic development and also hampers responses to humanitarian and development needs. There are significant differences between HIV prevalence rates in urban (28 per cent) and rural (21 per cent) areas. Lesotho has however made significant progress in strengthening collaboration and coordination between the HIV and TB programmes. 

With high levels of chronic food insecurity and endemic poverty in Lesotho, many people suffer from undernourishment, especially protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), and other nutrient deficiencies.  Poverty is mostly concentrated in the rural areas in Lesotho and women are generally poorer than men. Although a majority of the poor live in male headed households, the number of female headed households has witnessed an increasing trend. In as far as food insecurity and poverty are concerned Lesotho has pronounced regional variations.

Lesotho has made significant strides in the education sector. Free primary education was introduced as a major strategy towards achieving universal primary education and the Education for All (EFA) goals. With the introduction of Free Primary Education, the net enrolment for primary education increased from 60 per cent in 1999 to 82 per cent in 2000 and further to 83.9 per cent in 2006.  The self-reported adult literacy rate in Lesotho is among the highest in Africa.

The Free Primary Education Policy ensures equal access to primary education for boys and girls, and among other objectives also aims to reduce gender disparities in primary education. Yet Lesotho continues to have a higher level of primary enrolment for girls than for boys. Statistics in Lesotho also show that girls have had a bigger advantage in attaining secondary and higher education as compared to boys. Lately, high rates of HIV/AIDS related deaths force boys to assume the responsibility of household heads.  Many end up working in South African farms and factories to support their families whilst girls continue with their education.

Infant mortality is increasing in Lesotho. The infant mortality rate increased from 74 children per live 1,000 live births in 2000 to 91 and 94 children per live births in 2004 and 2006 respectively. The measles coverage decreased from 63 per cent in 2001 to close to 50 per cent in 2002, then it increased to 80 per cent in 2008. Over the years, Lesotho has implemented the Expanded Programme of Immunization.

The country’s target on maternal mortality is off track. The life time risk of maternal death is estimated at 1:32. This means that one out of 32 women in Lesotho will die of pregnancy and child birth related conditions. Incomplete abortion related deaths are major contributors to maternal mortality in Lesotho.

In its effort to address the high maternal and neonatal deaths, Lesotho developed and launched a Road Map for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal and Newborn Morbidity and Mortality in 2006.  A key goal in meeting the MDG targets is better coordination in the implementation of the road map, while working with the reality of the recent decentralization policy of the Government. However, many challenges still exist that need to be addressed to strengthen the health system at all levels.

Lesotho’s environment presents a number of unique challenges. The degradation of the landscape is at an extremely high level with a soil loss ratio on arable lands in the region of 30-40t/ha/year as opposed to the average in the countries of Asia and Latin America closer to 1t/ha/year. Lesotho is not a large per capita emitter of CO2. It is however well placed to be able to be a producer of green energy as it is able to harness many forms of renewable energies - wind, solar, and especially hydro power.  Although it is only in the early stages of developing solar energy schemes, and working with wind energy, it is quite developed when it comes to hydro power initiatives.  Lesotho is on-track to attain the goal of reducing the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 50 per cent by 2015. However, progress in the area of sanitation is slower than that in the area of water provision for both technical and policy reasons.

A major goal of the report is to highlight new global realities that impact on achievement of the MDGs, in particular the impact of the global economic crisis and climate change. This report highlights the need for policies to mitigate the effects of the economic crisis.

One of the main transmission channels of the global financial and economic crisis to Lesotho is SACU revenue, which accounted for 60 per cent of the government’s revenue in 2008. This revenue is expected to decline by about 60 per cent in 2010/11 and an additional 20 per cent in 2011/12. Declining exports and SACU revenues and consequent low national growth rates and income are a serious threat for a country suffering from chronic poverty.

Studies by the UNFCCC and Lesotho Meteorological Services suggest that probable climate change scenarios for Lesotho include increasing temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, decreasing summer precipitation, increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. Lesotho is one of the least forested countries in Africa with less than 1per cent of the country as woodland. Climate change could also impact the diseases in the country. The Government is working on four projects with the UN to alleviate climate change problems.