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Venezuela Exceeds Millennium Goals
Caracas - The economic and social policy of
President Hugo Chavez'' government favored
compliance, before the date set, with several
development goals for the millennium, according to
an official report published on Friday.
The report, elaborated to be presented in Geneva,
includes a significant increase of the Human
Development Rate in the period from 1988 to 2007,
being at the same level of a highly developed
country.
The government has managed to decrease the number of
people in abject poverty, from 29.8 percent in 2003
to 9.4 percent in the first quarter of 2007,
exceeding the goal set for 2015, which was 12.5
percent.
The report published by the health Ministry said the
infant mortality rate went from 19 per 1,000 live
births in 1999 to 13.7 in 2007, and the number of
people with HIV-AIDS with free treatment increased
from 1,059 to 25,657.
Venezuela has included seven vaccines in the disease
prevention strategy, and over 32 million doses were
applied in 2008 alone.
These progresses in medical assistance were
supported by extension of the free state-funded
social program known as Barrio Adentro or inside the
barrio, a free comprehensive health service started
with the help of Cuban experts.
In compliance with the "zero hunger" goal, to be
achieved before 2015, they established 6,048 food
houses for the neediest social groups and 16,529
business of MERCAL, a subsidized food network.
In reference to gender equality, the number of women
in university studies is larger, and their presence
in the whole educational system increased from 31.25
percent in the 1990-1998 period to 47.56 percent in
1999-2006.
From 1990-2007, the percentage of people with access
to drinkable water rose from 62 to 92 percent,
surpassing the goal for 2015, which was to increase
the figure to 84 percent.
Social investment underwent a sustained increase in
the 10-year government of Chavez, going from 8.4
percent of the Gross Domestic Product in 1988 to
18.8 percent in 2008. |
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