Despite improvements, Mozambique remains among the bottom ten in the world – Human Development Index

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Despite improvements, Mozambique remains among the bottom ten in the world – Human Development Index

4:01 CAT | 12 Dec 2019

Picture: A Verdade

Mozambique’s ranking in the Human Development Index (HDI) has improved somewhat, but we remain one of the ten worst in the world. [To read the full report click HERE]

UNDP Representative Alfredo Teixeira says: “Inequality is a public policy choice; it is not inevitable, and measures can be taken to correct it.” He challenges the Mozambican government to address inequality issues in the 2020-2024 Five Year Plan ”having suggested the use of natural resources to reduce them”. [Read the briefing note for Mozambique on the 2019 HDI report HERE]

But the recent United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report reveals that this “better Mozambique” remains a mirage. Although the country’s HDI – which ranges from 0 to 1 and is based on health, education and income indicators – has risen from 0.418 to 0.446, Mozambique remains one of the worst in the world.

ALSO READ: Average life expectancy in Mozambique grows to over 60 – UNDP

Mozambique ranks 180th, the same as last year, better only than Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Mali, Burundi, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and Niger.

“Inequality is becoming one of the features of the 21st century. Its impact is triggering growing economic and social tensions around the world, tensions which we unfortunately see almost daily around the world,” Teixeira says.

While not explicitly mentioning the return of tensions with Renamo in Central Mozambique and the conflict with the so-called ‘Al-Shabaab’ in the north, the UNDP Representative states: “These events are often motivated by a deep sense of injustice. and marginalisation by the people deprived by the transformation that has plagued the global and political economy in recent decades. Inequality is a choice of public policy, but it is not inevitable, it is possible to take steps to correct it.”

“Despite progress in basic human development, the world is not on track to eradicate extreme deprivation in health and education by 2030, when three million children under five are still expected to die each year and 225 million to not attend school,” Teixeira said. He did not mention, however, that 79,000 of these children are currently dying in Mozambique and that about half a million adolescents finish primary school each year but cannot continue their studies because there are not enough secondary school places.

According to Teixeira, the report “demonstrates that inequality begins even before birth. The development of equality policies should cover all stages of personal and human development, from childhood and throughout life, including investment in children’s education, health and nutrition.”

Among the 13 million Mozambican children, nearly 5.5 million are chronically malnourished, and nearly one million suffer from acute malnutrition, a disease which reduces their ability to learn, making it difficult for them to get the jobs and income that would allow them to step onto the social ladder in Mozambique.

UNDP challenges government to use natural resources to reduce inequalities

“In Mozambique, this report comes at an opportune moment, as the country enters a new political cycle after the recent elections of 15 October 2019, which will fall under the new government’s Five-Year Plan. The report is a unique opportunity to reflect on issues of inequality, issues that are not new to the country,” Teixeira points out.

“In this context, it is imperative that the Government and development players in Mozambique come together to devise ways to address the issue of inequality in the country in all its dimensions, in order to prevent these inequalities from fuelling disagreements and social tensions, and placing the country on an inclusive path to economic growth and sustainable development, ensuing that no one is neglected or left behind.”

“Mozambique’s greater exposure to the impact of climate change, and its potential to widen the gap in living standards between those at the top and the most disadvantaged, makes this appeal particularly urgent. In this regard, it should be noted that the protests taking place in the world today reflect not only the concerns of everyday life, but the anxieties that the future projects. Some argue that we are in an age of anxiety, because people are concerned about their future, particularly because of the shadow of the climate crisis and the technological transformations of our societies,” Teixeira notes.

“Mozambique’s wealth of natural resources, including its natural gas resources, provide the country with a unique opportunity to address these concerns once and for all,” challenged the United Nations Development Program Representative.

For UNDP Senior Economist Alex Warren Rodriguez, what is most dramatic for countries like Mozambique is that, while achieving early childhood survival, universal primary education, access to basic technology and trying to create resilience to climate shocks, failure to meet new challenges such as accessing quality health and education at all levels will exacerbate inequalities all over again.

The government gazetted the launch of the Human Development Report 2019.

By Adérito Caldeira

Also read: As Africa gains development ground, new inequalities emerge, says new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report

Source: A Verdade