Uganda on track to achieve SDGs

Uganda is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as it has already incorporated 70 percent of the goals into the second development plan for the period 2015/2020 as part of the country's Vision 2040.

This means that Uganda has demonstrated leadership because just after one year since the 2030 Agenda on SDGs was adopted, the country has managed to integrate the important Agenda in its national development plan,' Ambassador Arthur Kafeero of the foreign affairs ministry said during a consultation meeting on implementation of SDGs for better health at Imperial hotel.

Kafeero said that this was a commendable milestone for Uganda adding that the country will continue to make important strides. He revealed that a coordination body has been established to assist in implementing the agenda.

The SDGs replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were launched in 2000. The seventeen goals are; No poverty, Zero hunger, Good health and wellbeing, Quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, Industry innovation and infrastructure, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, Peace, justice and strong institutions, and Partnership for goals.

Kafeero said the critical steps the United Nations had to take, was to integrate the goals in national programmes. 'The main purpose of the Agenda is to transform the lives of humanity by leaving no one behind,' he emphasised.

He said that budgets for key sectors such as infrastructure, Trade, tourism and Industry, Agriculture and health among others for the financial year 2016/17 have increased. 'The health sector has 8.9% share of the budget with an increment of sh600bn compared to the previous financial year.

Francis Omaswa the Executive Director of the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) called for collective efforts in achieving the SDGs.

One of the objectives of the meeting was to explore ways in which SDG implementation efforts of policy-research institutions can be facilitated moving towards 2030.

Dr. Teddy Gina from the centre for health systems and policy research in Ghana said, in Ghana a lot has been achieved in maternal and child health and universal health coverage however the country is still faced with the challenge of illegal mining which is affecting the environment. She added there has been an improvement on the education goal.