Millennium Development Goals

The Solomon Islands is committed to meeting its obligations under the Millennium Declaration in integrating the Millennium Development Goals into the development planning and policy framework in the Solomon Islands. 

MDG Activities
MDG activities in the Solomon Islands are coordinated by the Ministry of Planning. The Ministry is hoping to produce a national MDG report, with assistance from UNDP, before the end of 2004. For more information about MDGs in the Solomon Islands please contact xxxx. 

MDG Indicators 
The following table summarises the progress towards achieving MDG targets in the Solomon Islands and the Excel workbook (105 KB) contains the source and notes about the statistical information used. 

Background

In-country MDG activities in the Solomon Islands will begin with the formation of the MDG Task Force in late 2004, for which the Planning Department will be the focal point.

The information in this summary is provisional and is not released officially on this website. Ministries concerned are verifying the accuracy of the information used.

Progress

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
-          The challenge is to develop a national indicator for deprivation or poverty which is accepted by the whole community, particularly those in the urban areas and in the provincial islands.
 -          No data available on prevalence of poverty, poverty depth or inequality measures (although a household economic survey is planned for late 2004)
 -          Available economic and social data suggest the poverty situation to be increasing, new vulnerable groups are emerging e.g. those displaced by the ethnic conflict, the unemployed and the youth, and significant inequalities existed between urban (4 times higher) and rural income

Target 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day
1. Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day
2. Poverty gap ratio (PGR) [incidence x depth of poverty]

  • Information is not available and a household economic (income and expenditure) survey is required to collect this information 

Target 2: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
4. Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age  1986:  21%           1990 23% (SB HDR 2002)

  • A nutrition survey is required to measure progress against this indicator, with approximately 1 in 5 children under five years old being underweight in 1990. 

5. Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption

  • Information is not available and a nutrition survey is required to collect this information

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
  -    The challenge is to ensure that all children everywhere have access to quality education at all levels, that the enrolment of girls in primary and secondary education continues to improve and that options for secondary education continue to increase, particularly for vocational training. 

Target 3: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

6. Net enrolment ratio in primary education  1986:  39.00%      1999:  56.00% (1986 1999 Census)

  • While in enrolment rates in primary education are low, in the 13 years 1986 – 1999 there was a slight improvement in the number of children enrolled in primary school (based on Census results) 

7. Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach grade 5  1991:  85 (2003 HDR)

  • Up to date information is required to monitor this indicator, however the rate is high, although the Ministry of Education need to verify this information (as it seems high). 

8. Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds  1991:  62.00% (1991 literacy survey)

  • While there have been questions on literacy in population censuses; there are concerns about the quality of results from asking people if they are able to read and write and a further literacy survey is required to monitor this indicator

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women 
-          The gender gap remains noticeable in education and literacy rates but has decreased. In 1999 the share of women in total employment was just 23% and women’s participation in the work force was generally limited to menial tasks and the traditional service sectors; few women penetrate to the upper ranks of civil services and the major private enterprises. The challenge is to integrate gender issues across all sectors and involve women in the development process.

Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and to all levels of education no later than 2015

9. Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education
Ratio of girls to boys in primary school  1986:  0.80    1999:  0.86

  • While gross enrolment is low, the ratio of girls to boys in primary education is improving

Ratio of girls to boys in secondary school  1986:  0.57                  1999:  0.70

  • The ratio of girls to boys in secondary school is improving, although there are again concerns that the enrolment rate in secondary education is low 

Ratio of girls to boys in tertiary education

  • Information was not available from the MoE

10. Ratio of literate females to males of 15-24 year-olds

  • Because of concerns about the accuracy of census literacy data information is not available and a literacy survey is required 

11. Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector  1986:  23.16%   1999:  29.59%

  • In an economy characterised by subsistence production, a small private sector and a ‘dominant’ public sector,, there has been a slight increase in the proportion of women employed in the formal sector employed in sectors outside agriculture

12. Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament  1995: 2%                             2003:  0.00%

  • There are no women in the current Government although the Women Development Division have a project to promote the political involvement for the elections in 2005

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
-          The challenge is to increase planned parenting including birth timing, birth spacing and completion of child bearing through effective public health. Infant and child mortality is high because of by fatal diseases, notably malaria, and birth complications.

Target 5: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

13. Under-five mortality rate (CMR)  1990:  36               1999:  73

  • The rate for 1990 (2003 HDR) seems low and is probably the result of incomplete death registration information while the rate for 1999 is more realistic (Census)

14. Infant mortality rate (IMR)  1989:  96         1999:  66

  • The IMR is declining steadily, and if the trend continues the Solomon Islands is on track to achieve the MDG target of 32 by 2015. 

15. Proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measles, percent  1989:  92%    1995:  68%           2000:  77% (1990 Epidemiological Report, SB HDR 2002)

  • Immunization rates were high in the late 1980s, declining in the mid-90s and improving in the year 2000 

Goal 5: Improve maternal health
-    The challenge is to increase planned parenting including birth timing, birth spacing and completion of child bearing through effective public health. Various estimates of the maternal mortality rate indicate a reduction during the 1990s. In 2001 there were 25 maternal deaths.

Target 6: Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio

16. Maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births  1992:  550                  1996:  138             1997:  209             1999:  135

  • The number of maternal deaths is very variable from year to year and the maternal mortality rate varies as a result. However the overall trend from the early 1990s is a decline in maternal mortality, and comparing 1992 and 1999 the Solomon Islands has achieved the target of reducing maternal mortality rate by two thirds

17. Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel  1994:  85.36% (SI HDR 2002)

  • The proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (nurse or doctor) is high 

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
-          The challenge is to control the incidence of malaria, TB and other diseases (influenza, measles) and non communicable diseases through effective public and curative health. No data available on HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. The incidence of malaria has been reduced about threefold from 455 per 100 000 in 1992 to 131 in 2001. A dual disease pattern is emerging where infectious communicable diseases remain the main cause of morbidity, but life-style non-communicable diseases are on the increase. 

Target 7: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

18. HIV prevalence among 15-24 year old pregnant women

  • Information is not available for this indicator

19. Condom use rate of the contraceptive prevalence rate  2001 2.4% (Health Medical Statistics Department)

Contraceptive prevalence rate  1997:  10.6            2001:  6.8

  • If this information is accurate there are concerns that the number of married couples using contraception for family planning is declining; with no information available on the use of condoms and knowledge of HIV/AIDs prevention methods

20. Number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS

  • Information is not available for this indicator

Target 8: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

21. Prevalence and death rates associated with malaria 

Malaria prevalence rate per 100,000 population  1992               :  455      1999:  155             2001:  131

Malaria death rate per 100,000 population  2000:  8 (2003 HDR)

  • The prevalence rate for malaria is declining showing the results of the control programme of the Ministry of Health over the past thirty years.  The death rate for malaria does not seem accurate (MoH to confirm)

22. Proportion of population in malaria risk areas using effective malaria prevention and treatment measures  1999               :  53% (Census)

  • The proportion of the population using effective malaria treatment measures (treated bednets) needs to improve to reduce the incidence of malaria

23. Prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis (MoH to confirm)

TB prevalence rate per 100,000 population  2000:  111             2002:  126 (WHO)

TB notification rate per 100,000 population  1990:  117              1995:  94               2000:  65 (SI HDR 2002)

  • There is a trend for the prevalence of tuberculosis to be increasing while the notification rate is decreasing, implying that the number of new cases of TB is declining (notification) (MoH to confirm) 

TB death rate per 100,000 population  2000:  13         2002:  15 (WHO)

  • There have not been recent improvements in the TB death rate and information is required for the baseline year of 1990 to determine if progress has been made towards achieving this target 

24. Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) 

Tuberculosis, DOTS detection rate, per cent total population  1996:  52.00           2002:  57.00 (WHO)

Tuberculosis, DOTS treatment success, per cent total population  1995               :  65.00   2001:  89.00 (WHO)

  • With DOTS introduced in 19xx, more information from the MoH is required to measure detection, however the treatment success has increased significantly (MoH to confirm)

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

-          The challenge is to conserve and manage the marine and land environments of the Solomon Islands, in particular minimising degradation of water catchments through unsustainable logging and other agricultural practises and stabilising the loss of biodiversity. The Solomon Islands contains a World Heritage site. (Environment to provide summary)

Target 9: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources

25. Proportion of land area covered by forest  1990:  90.30%    2000:  88.80% (FAO)

  • The proportion of land area covered by forests is declining (Environment to confirm) 

26. Ratio of area protected to maintain biological diversity to surface area  1994:                0.72%                    2003:  1.43% (FAO)

  • The area of land protected has increased from 204 to 407 km2. 

27. Energy use (kg oil equivalent) per $1 GDP (PPP)

  • Information is not available for this indicator

28. Carbon dioxide emissions (per capita) and consumption of ozone-depleting CFCs (ODP tons)

Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), metric tons, per capita  1990:  0.5      1999:  0.4 (2003 HDR)

Consumption of ozone-depleting CFCs (ODP tons)  1990:  2                   2001:  1 (2003 HDR)

  • CO2 emissions and CFC consumption are not serious issues in the Solomon Islands

29. Proportion of households using solid fuels  1999:  87.27%

  • From Census data there is very high proportion of the mostly rural households using solid fuels 

Target 10: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water

30. Proportion of households with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural 

Proportion of households with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban  1999:  80.87%

Proportion of households with sustainable access to an improved water source, rural  1999:  21.78%

  • From the Census the question on the main source of drinking water for the household improved water is defined as piped water inside or outside the dwelling and not improved includes shared piped water (do not know how far the pipe is from the dwellings), well, borehole, river, stream or other. A large proportion of rural households do not have access to an improved source of drinking water

Target 11 By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers

31. Proportion of urban households with access to improved sanitation  1999: 78.80% Rural 9%

  • From the Census the question on the ‘modern’ toilet facilities for the household improved sanitation is defined as modern toilet facilities inside or outside the dwelling and not improved shared modern toilets. A large proportion of households do not have modern toilet facilities (78%)

32. Proportion of households with access to secure tenure (permanent or semi-permanent)  1999:  36.04%

  • Secure tenure is defined as households living in permanent or semi permanent housing structures as a measure of the durability of the house to natural disasters (floods, cyclones) and ‘modern’ facilities such as piped water, sanitation and electricity.  

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development 

-          The challenge is to develop a sound macro economic framework to decrease dependence on international support and increase self reliance and productivity. 

Target 12 Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system. 

33. Net ODA, total and to LDCs, as percentage of OECD/DAC donors’ gross national income

  • OECD to provide 

34. Proportion of total bilateral, sector-allocable ODA of OECD/DAC donors to basic social services

  • OECD to provide but it would be more accurate if this indicator was derived by Finance / Planning

Target 13 Address the special needs of the least developed countries 

35. Proportion of bilateral ODA of OECD/DAC donors that is untied

  • OECD to provide but it would be more accurate if this indicator was derived by Finance / Planning

38. Proportion of total developed country imports (by value and excluding arms) from developing countries and LDCs, admitted free of duties

  • OECD to provide 1996:  3.50%         2000:  7.90%

39. Average tariffs imposed by developed countries on agricultural products and textiles and clothing from developing countries

  • OECD to provide Textiles 1996:  7   2000:  6                 Clothing 1996:  11               2000:  10

41. Proportion of ODA provided to help build trade capacity 

  • OECD to provide but it would be more accurate if this indicator was derived by Finance / Planning

Target 14 Address the special needs of small island developing States

37. ODA received in small island developing States as proportion of their GNIs  1990:  22.1            2001  22.2 (2003 HDR)

  • ODA received in the Solomon Islands is stable and has increased in recent years (this needs to be verified by Finance / Planning)

Target 15 Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries

44. Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services  1990:  11.30                               2000:  2.70 (HDR 2003)

  • This information could be provided by Statistics / Central Bank

Target 16 In co-operation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth

45. Unemployment rate of 15-24 year-olds, each sex and total

Unemployment rate of 15-24 year-olds, female  1999                :  48.75%

Unemployment rate of 15-24 year-olds, male                 1999:  44.36%

Unemployment rate of 15-24 year-olds, total  1999:  46.02%

  • More information is required to monitor this target, where people doing subsistence activities have been classed as unemployed 

Target 17: In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries

46. Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs on a sustainable basis  1999:  80-94% (2003 HDR)

  • Access to essential drugs is adequate, with sick people from the outer islands requiring treatment transferred to the main hospital in Honiara (or overseas) MoH to confirm

Target 18: In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

47. Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 population  1990:  1.64     2002:  1.87 (ITU estimates)

Telephone lines per 100 population                

Cellular telephone subscribers per 100 population  

  • The number of telephone lines per 100 population is increasing at a slow rate even though there are initiatives such as the village based Internet posts. 

48. Personal computers in use per 100 population and Internet users per 100 population

Personal computers in use per 100 population  2002:  4.43 (ITU estimates)

Internet users per 100 population  2002:  0.54 (ITU estimates)

  • More Information is required to monitor progress towards achieving this ta