ONE has ranked Rwanda first among the countries that have shown significant progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 2013 ONE report based its judgment on the fact that Rwanda has made tremendous efforts to reduce poverty by 13 percent whereby one million Rwandans were lifted out of it.
The survey was released at the sidelines of the 48th Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank in Marrakech, Morocco. The five-day meeting dubbed: “Africa’s structural transformation” focuses on the need for Africa to turn economic growth into shared and sustainable economic transformation within the next half century.
According to the report, Rwanda and Mali top the list with 6.0 MDGs progress score, a track record that has been achieved in the last three years. Since 2007, the Government of Rwanda has made achieving the MDGs fundamental to its policy framework.
According to this report, there is a clear link between African country investments in health, education and agriculture. These areas are on the top where MDGs progress can be seen.
In education, net primary school attendance has gone up from 86.6 per cent in 2005-2006 to 91.7 per cent in 2010-2011, boosted by the nine year free basic education implemented by the Government since 2010, according to UNDP MDGs Progress and the macroeconomic state of Rwanda, 2012.
Maternal health has also considerably improved. Rwanda last year hit the MDG target on child mortality, where the country reduced the death of children under the age of five, from 156 deaths per 1,000 children to 54 deaths per 1,000 children born annually, according to a report by UNICEF.
The Government of Rwanda is very optimistic that by 2015, more MDG targets will be met. Amb. Claver Gatete, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning has told journalists that “Rwanda’s visionary leadership and commitment has indeed spearheaded the country’s progress in attaining the MDGs and that will continue in these coming years.”
According to the report Rwanda and Mali are followed by the Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda and Malawi in the second position with 5.5 MDGs progress score, while Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Gambia occupy third position with 5.0 score.
However, the ONE report campaign that tracks progress on MDGs and development financing in Africa shows wide inequalities in the continent’s anti-poverty goal progress.
In terms of government spending on education, agriculture and health, while 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have made progress in the last three years, 16 of them are on their way to extreme poverty.
Rwanda seems to have a particular advantage through its policy of performance contracts. According to Rwanda’s finance minister, Claver Gatete, a performance contract signed by every mayor, governor and ministers serves as a guarantee that the government meets the basic needs of the population.
“If you are President Kagame’s employee, you won’t survive if you do not implement” the government’s development activities. The different models that the Rwandan government has put in place have reduced poverty from 36% to 24%.
He explained that ensuring people’s ownership is the only way to involve a community and give them responsibilities. “It does not matter how much money you put in, it’s how the money is used. Involving the population is crucial for lasting results.”