15 Oct 2012

Signs of progress towards MDGs in region - UNDP official

10:14 am on 15 October 2012

A United Nations official says there are signs of progress in an acceleration programme targetting some of the Millennium Development Goals in the Pacific.

Representatives from 15 Pacific countries met in Nadi last week to discuss achievement of the MDGs to date and to highlight the continuing challenges.

In the Pacific, the Melanesian countries are well behind on a number of the goals with Papua New Guinea seen as a special case.

The United Nations Development Programme's team leader for poverty alleviation, Ahmed Moustafa, says they have identified maternal health as a high priority in PNG.

He says an acceleration programme focussing on this goal is having an impact.

"Most of the preparation is all done and we are really in the full implementation phase now, and there is a bit of progress. We are seeing good signs and good feedback and response but we are a bit over-cautious, not to put our expectation way up too high."