UN official: Guinea "less" likely to achieve MDGs by 2015

The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Guinea by 2015 is "less" likely due to the enormous delays and the socio-political situation the country has witnessed in the recent years, the representative of the UN System in Guinea, Anthony Kwaku Ohemeng-Boamah, said on Monday. Ohemeng-Boamah made these revelations on the occasion to officially launch the United Nations Day which is always celebrated on Oct. 24 of each year across the world. The UN official noted that despite the efforts made by the Guinean government and its development partners, the achievement of the eight objectives of the Millennium Development Goals still remains a question of "probability" because, he said, statistics show that there are various challenges yet to be overcome. Official statistics released in 2010 showed that some 26.1 percent of Guineans lived in extreme poverty and the illiteracy level stood at 34.5 percent. The prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS is 1.5 percent with an increase in areas with high poverty levels and feminization of AIDS in almost all regions. Access to water still remains a source of concern despite the progress that has been made in this area. According to the plan for achievement of MDGs in Guinea, which was drafted in 1996 and whose target was 2015, the annual cost of implementing these objectives was estimated to be 1.3 billion U.S. dollars with 110 dollars invested annually by each citizen for a period of 10 years. The United Nations system has the responsibility of helping a given country in its development agenda and poverty reduction programs. Ohemeng-Boamah said the UN institution provides advice to governments on the ground to improve the well-being of the population. He said in Guinea, the United Nations is involved in the area of improvement of governance, reinforcement of institutional capacity, equitable access to basic social services, environmental preservation and sustainable management of natural resources.