Panama has to work hard to reduce poverty UN official

Panama will have to work hard to achieve the 2015 Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty, despite progress in recent years said a UN official on Tuesday, February 22.

Thirty-two percent, 32% of the population lives in poverty in Panama.

"We still have hard work  to do , in partnership with government, Panamanian society and the international community, for Panama to achieve compliance with the Millennium Development Goals by 2015," said Kim Bolduc, Program Representative United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education, combating AIDS and malaria, reducing infant mortality and improving maternal health are among the objectives.

"We see a positive trend towards the elimination of poverty, gender equity, educational opportunities and access to universal primary education," said Paulina Franceschi, coordinator of an atlas plotting progress.

However, the trend towards reaching health goals is much more irregular, and the target goal “a bit away yet” he said.

The eight Millennium Development Goals were established in 2000 by 192 UN member countries to be fulfilled within 15 years.