Ghana first in Sub-Sahara to halve extreme poverty under MDGs

Ghana is the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to have met the MDGs to cut extreme poverty by half in relation to the Millennium Development Goals initiative, which ended in 2015.

Ghana also made substantial progress in reducing the prevalence of HIV, increasing access to primary education for girls and boys equally, and also reducing hunger.

These were contained in a release from the Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations, which outlined the report on the implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

The report summarises key development results achieved in Ghana in 2014 and 2015 with UN support.

It also highlights how the UN is contributing to agricultural modernisation, food security and nutrition, environmental sustainability, water and sanitation, expanding effective public social services to reach the marginalised and institutional capacity for good governance.

The release stated, 'Ghana has been a strong partner of the UN through its leadership in the consultation process to develop the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, and in the fight against Ebola by hosting the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, to support the affected countries in West Africa in 2014 and 2015.'

It said the UN's support in Ghana took many forms from making available global expertise and adapting good practices to national circumstances and needs.

Facilitating South to South exchanges, providing technical assistance, advocating and enabling compliance with international standards ratified by Ghana, undertaking research and applying it to policy issues, and building up capabilities in data collection and use to inform policy decisions and monitor their implementation, are also some forms of UN support in Ghana, the release said.

It quoted Christine Evans-Klock, the UN Resident Coordinator as saying, 'The 25 UN agencies working in Ghana are most effective when we harmonise our efforts.'

He said the commitment to delivering as one, served as a guide on how working together across the UN mandate could promote development in every area of human endeavour, the release added.

The release said the UN Country Team counted on strong partnerships in completing the implementation of the 2012-2017 UNDAF and developing its successor, the strategic framework for UN work 2018-2021.

This framework is expected to focus support on localising and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals through Ghana's national development plans, the release said.