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are in MDGs
in Sri Lanka > Goal
1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger |
| MDGs
in Sri Lanka |
| Goal
1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger |
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“We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected.” The Millennium Declaration
“Hence I will pursue action to further strengthen the programme to enhance the empowerment of people for the effective eradication of poverty.”
“No child will be allowed to study in hunger. I will therefore offer a rice meal at midday to every school going child.” The Mahinda Chintana.
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| Current status |
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Since independence poverty has
declined in Sri Lanka, with a significant decline from
1953 to 1985. From the mid-80’s until 1990s,
poverty continued to decline but at a slower rate.
From 1990 to 2002 inequality has widened, with the income
of the poorest 20% increasing by about 36% and the income
of the richest 20% increasing by 49%. The disparity in
income distribution is also apparent when comparing the
consumption levels of the different segments of society.
Over the same period of time, consumption of the poorest
quintile increased by 2.2%, while the consumption expenditure
of the richest quintile grew by 50%. |
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The farm
sector is poorer than other sectors, with economic growth benefiting
more urban areas. The devastation and displacement caused
by the civil war and tsunami has aggravated poverty in the north
and east and along the coastal belt.
(Source: MDGs Country Report 2000 - Sri Lanka) |
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Government
Strategies and Progress
The ‘support-led
strategy’ for reducing poverty being followed
by Sri Lanka, has brought some success; however, it has not
been sufficient to bring Sri Lanka on track to meet Goal 1
targets by 2015. To improve basic living standards,
4% of the GDP has been redistributed to qualifying households
for free education, health services, food subsidies, food
stamps and subsidised credit.
It has been shown that it is possible to reduce the level of
human deprivation even with very low income, by providing basic
social services, safe drinking water and sanitation and immunisation
services. |
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Support
District budgets linked to MDG targets
NCED
Clusters
District
Map |
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Challenges
Promoting faster economic
growth is a necessary condition for reducing poverty; however
it is not sufficient. It is also necessary that greater economic
growth benefits the poor by creating sufficient employment
and self-employment opportunities, ensuring that subsidies
reach the most vulnerable households and promoting higher
production and productivity in the sector where the poor are
employed, such as the agricultural sector. Poverty reduction
programmes should also aim at developing the most disadvantaged
and poor areas, such as promoting investments in less developed
regions, improving infrastructure, promoting the conservation
and sustainable management of natural resources.
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Target 2
To halve the proportion of people suffering from hunger
The proportion of underweight
children under 5 years is an indicator used to monitor progress
for Target 2 under Goal 1. In Sri Lanka this proportion has
been declining since 1993; today only three in every ten children
under 5 years of age are underweight. At the current declining
trend Sri Lanka is on track to reach the national target of
two in every ten children by 2015. |
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The second
indicator to monitor progress for target 2 is the proportion
of people below the minimum level of dietary energy consumption.
At present in Sri Lanka, there are two every four persons
under the minimum level of dietary energy consumption; the
challenge for Sri Lanka is to bring down this proportion to
one person in every four in 2015. |
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How do we
measure progress towards the target? Through the following
indicators:
The Key Indicators for this Target are:
4. Prevalence of underweight children
under five years of age
5. Proportion of population below minimum
level of dietary energy consumption |
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| Current Status |
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At present in Sri Lanka, 51.3% of the population does not
eat enough to satisfy its minimum dietary requirement.
Just over half of Sri Lanka’s population is undernourished.
Despite a decline in child malnutrition
over the recent years, 13.5% of children below 5 years
of age are stunted, 14% are wasted and 29.4% are under-weight.
The Central and the Sabaragamuwa Provinces reported
a higher prevalence of stunted, under-weight and wasted
pre-school children in Sri Lanka. |
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It has
been found that there is an inverse relationship between underweight
children and their mother’s education, while there is
a direct relationship between undernutrition and low-income
household, poor housing and sanitation and low birth weight.
The critical period for Sri Lankan children is the first 18
months of their lives. Poor childcare and feeding practices,
high morbidity and maternal malnutrition have been identified
as key causes of child malnutrition.
(Source: MDGs Country Report 2000 - Sri Lanka) |
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Government
Strategies and Progress
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Poverty reduction and welfare
service projects to supply cash supplements to 1.6 million
families in need |
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Provision of food and nutrition to
IDPs in the North and East conflict area |
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(Source: Ministry of Finance and Planning
Annual Report 2005, p.79.) |
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Support
District budgets linked to MDG targets
NCED
Clusters
District Map |
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Challenges
One important challenge in
reaching this target is to change the perception that it is
acceptable for women to neglect their own nutritional needs
over the other family members. Social attitudes need
to change so that a mother can give due priority to her own
health while caring for her family. This, in conjunction
with poverty-reducing programmes, will in turn produce more
healthy babies with higher birth weight growing into better-fed,
pre-school children with fewer health issues. Gradually,
the standard of health of the entire population can be improved.
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