The 2011 millennium development goals (MDG) report launched here on Friday highlights an increase in skilled attendance at birth, skilled antenatal care and contraceptive use as well as reductions in adolescent childbearing, most notably in southern Asia. However, southern Asia still has the second highest level of maternal mortality among all regions (after sub-saharan Africa) with 280 deaths per 100,000 live births.

It shows Asia has made steady progress in reducing child deaths. Eastern Asia registered a distinct improvement where the mortality rate of children under theage of five declined by 58 percent between 1990 and 2009.

However, in southern Asia, only 36 percent of the population use an improved sanitation facility, such as a toilet or latrine, while half the population has to go for open defecation – the highest rate among all regions of the world.

The sub-region reached 91 percent enrolment in 2009, up from 79 percent in 1999, and is on track to meet the target of universal primary education by 2015.

According to the report, the target of halving extreme poverty has already been met. The progress in southern Asia is, however, slow and insufficient to meet the target.

It also throws light on southern Asia being high on hunger and having high enrolment in universal primary education.

The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon through the report said, we need to reach out and lift the poor into our lifeboat. Now is the time for equity, inclusion, sustainability and women’s empowerment. Investing in human capital must be our strategy and touchstone. Some of the world’s poorest nations have some of the largest strides towards reaching universal enrolment in primary education.

He added, the goal now is to ensure similar results in secondary and tertiary education to make boys and girls have equal opportunity and to ensure that the education they receive is quality education.