Andhra Pradesh Economic Reform Program II

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Andhra Pradesh (AP) is likely to achieve some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets. Halving the proportion of people suffering from extreme poverty and hunger is possible by 2015 if AP is able to sustain the achievements of the 1990s. Although poverty has declined in AP, the reduction is smaller than in other Indian states, particularly when compared with the other Southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and the pace of poverty reduction has been relatively slower in rural areas. In order to meet its poverty reduction goals, the challenge for AP is to improve the access of the poor to credit and social services (particularly, health and education), especially in rural areas. The goal of universal primary enrollment by 2015 is likely to be met, but achieving the targeted completion and retention rates will be a challenge. There has been progress towards gender equality in the labor market and in education, but targeted interventions are clearly necessary in order to eliminate the gender gap in education. Despite its recent efforts in improving school enrollments, the state continues to lag behind other states in literacy and education outcomes. Moreover, there are significant disparities across location, gender, income group and social category. The state is making efforts to address these problems. In the health sector, the challenges are even bigger. The state is on track to achieve its target of reducing maternal mortality to three-quarters of its 1990 level by 2015, and the goal of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water is also likely to met. Despite the very clear emphasis on health outcomes in Vision 2020 , however, the sector lacks a clear focus on outcomes and would benefit from a more focused strategy. The major health status indicators are worse in AP than in comparator southern states, and in some cases improvement seems to have stalled. Meeting the goal of reducing child mortality rates to two-thirds of the 1990 level by 2015 is unlikely given the rate of progress to date. Though numerical targets are unclear, progress towards combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases like tuberculosis has also been slow in the 1990s.

FY17 - Education,FY17 - Health,FY17 - Industry, Trade and Services,FY17 - Public Administration,FY17 - Social Protection

World Bank Group

Project

Water Supply and Storage, Power Generation (CCGT), Government, Education