Kathmandu, August 16:

Many countries in Asia and the Pacific, including Nepal are not likely to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets for universal primary enrolment and a two-thirds reduction in child mortality, says Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Key Indicators 2006.

The bank’s flagship annual statistical publication released today says the MDGs targets won’t be realised unless governments rapidly intensify efforts to improve basic education and increase access to primary health care for the poor.

“Without a concerted effort to reach the poor, Asia cannot - and will not - attain the health and education-related MDGs,” says Ifzal Ali, ADB chief economist.

“To sustain Asia’s success in reducing poverty, governments must improve education opportunities for the poor, as this is a key driver of movements out of chronic poverty,” Ali says, “Health-related shocks can also be catastrophic from a household’s perspective, pushing entire families into poverty.”

Large primary school enrolment deficiencies remain in Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea, according to Key Indicators 2006, which this year includes a theme chapter titled “Measuring Policy Effectiveness in Health and Education”.