Examples of the role of ICTs in supporting the MDGs in Asia

Goal 1:  Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.
  • Increasing employment and other economic opportunities for the poor.
  • Access to credit.
  • Agricultural development.
  • Community decision making.
  • Poverty mapping.
  • Hunger and food security.
  • Improvement of government services for the poor.
Goal 2: Achieving universal primary education.
  • Reduction of physical and social barriers to education.
  • Promoting efficiency in education.
  • Improving the quality of teaching and learning.

Goal 3: Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.
  • Women’s education.
  • Women’s advocacy.
  • Employment opportunities for women.
  • Women’s social and political participation.

Goals 4, 5 and 6: Reduction in child mortality, improving maternal health, the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
  • Infant and child healthcare education and training.
  • Hospital and healthcare administration.
  • Public health education and awareness.
  • Managing health information and patient data.
  • Automating basic processes of healthcare.
  • Enabling remote healthcare through telemedicine.

Goal 7: Environmental sustainability.
  • Geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing.
  • Environmental databases.
  • Increased networking.
  • Municipal solid waste and pollution management.
  • Environmental sustainability through a knowledge society.

Goal 8:  Towards a global partnership for development.
  • Governance.
  • Partnerships between stakeholders.
  • Global public policy networks.
  • Partnerships in education and research.
  • ICT as business tool to facilitate international trade.

Source: Systemic Exploration of Harnessing ICT for Realising the MDGs: Asian Experiences, Section VIII of Promoting ICT for Human Development in Asia: Realising the Millennium Development Goals: Summary (UNDP, 2004).

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