Ghana and Vietnam are the star performers in efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to substantially reduce poverty and boost health, a new report from a British think tank reveals. The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) released the report in London on-Tuesday ahead of a UN Summit in New York next Week which aims at boosting efforts to reach the goals. The eight goals were set at the Millennium Summit in 2.000, but with just five years to*the 2015 deadline many experts and aid agencies remain sceptical that any of the aims will be met. Ghana had reduced hunger by nearly three quarters — from 34 per cent to nine per cent between 1990 and 2004 — an area in which it had outperformed all other countries around the world. According to the report, Ghana is on course to be the first African country to achieve the millennium goal of halving rates of poverty and hunger by 2015. Ten African countries — including Ethiopia, Egypt and Angola — have already halved their poverty levels, according to the ODI. But the Institute warned: "In other areas, progress has been slower, or even reversed, and challenges remain in a number of countries." It highlighted great variations in HIV infection rates across Africa and uneven progress in tackling hunger and poverty across Latin America. The ODI was upbeat in its assessment, however, pointing to notable progress in areas including poverty reduction and access to education. But its report was not without criticism and highlighted some parts of the world where progress was slow. "This report recognises... the real progress that even many of the poorest countries are making," said Mark Suzman, director of policy, advocacy and special initiatives for the Global Development Programme at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation and the UN Millennium Campaign funded the ODI's research, which examined progress on seven of the eight millenium goals. In an interview with the Daily Graphic, a Deputy Information Minister, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, dedicated the report to hardworking Ghanaian farmers who he praised for remaining faithful to the agricultural sector. He also described the findings of the report as a welcome reward for our collective commitment to the agricultural sector of our country. He indicated that the government was not surprised because as President Mills had constantly said, in spite of the oil discovery, agriculture would remain a major priority of his government. Mr Ablakwa pointed out that already food inflation had been the biggest influence on the overall drop in inflation, which had reduced consistently over the last 14 months. He pointed out that the government policies in the agricultural sector over the years appeared to be yielding positive results and this particular ODI report would encourage the government to deepen these interventions. He reminded Ghanaians that already interventions such as fertiliser subsidies, guaranteed markets administered by the National Food Buffer Stock Company, tractor support, irrigation projects and agric mechanisation service centres across the country had substantially increased production. Mr Ablakwa said, for example, in 2009 rice production went up by 30 per cent, while maize production went up by 10 per cent. He pointed out that the report was certainly a boost to Ghana coming just a few days to the 66th session of the United Nations to be held in New York which was expected to hold a high level side-event organised by the UN Regional Commission on the theme: "The Millennium Development Goals: A Decade of Achievements and Challenges at the Regional Level" on Monday, September 20, 2010 Mr Ablakwa indicated that Ghana's delegation would be led by the Foreign Minister, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni. He stressed, however, that more work was required in meeting, the other targets ,and pledged the government's commitment towards that end. Source: Daily Graphic