I

n recording progress across provinces regarding the basic indicators of human development, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) stands out, despite still being among the country'€™s poorest provinces, officials have said.

For the third time since 2013, the province won the national award for achieving the most progress during 2012-2014 regarding the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the seven goals agreed to at the UN in 2000, which will expire this year. Jakarta was awarded for its achievements in 2014, while Papua was recognized for efforts to eradicate poverty in 2012-2014.

'€œEast Nusa Tenggara [NTT] used to be on the same level as NTB, [both among the nation'€™s poorest provinces], but the latter has progressed much faster,'€ said National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) human resources deputy Nina Sardjunani on Tuesday.

She was accompanying Bappenas head Andrinof Chaniago on a visit to The Jakarta Post along with the judges of the national MDG awards, which were presented in April.

From the beginning of his leadership, NTB Governor M. Zainul Majdi has declared zero maternal mortality, drop out and open defecation rates, Nina said. The twice-elected governor, or Tuan Guru Bajang, as he is popularly known, has won several accolades, including the highest state award for health development in 2009.

Last year, NTB had at least 80 percent of births assisted by trained medical personnel compared to less than 70 percent in NTT. The proportion of births assisted by trained medical personnel such as midwives is among the indicators of the maternal mortality rate (MMR).

'€œCurrently, [improving] the MMR is one of Indonesia'€™s biggest tasks, which often makes us feel ashamed in international forums,'€ Fasli said.

Minister Adrinof said Indonesia was '€œnot that bad'€ on the global level. '€œThe benchmark should be the 1997-1998 financial crisis,'€ he added, which according to him had caused a drastic increase in the poverty rate.

'€œFifteen percent of deliveries are predicted to have complications,'€ said Endang L. Achadi, the national MDG awards judge for maternal health and nutrition, while adding that most maternal deaths were preventable.

A lack of access to prenatal examinations, as well as a preference for dukun bayi [traditional midwives] instead of medical personnel, including trained midwives, are among the contributors to late emergency handling, health experts say.

'€œBy the time families get enough transport costs it is often too late,'€ said national MDG awards judging panel chairman Fasli Djalal, a former head of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN).

The 2012 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (SDKI) reports 359 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 228 per 100,000 in 2007 '€” the highest in Southeast Asia.

Within ASEAN, Indonesia ranks at the medium level, below Vietnam, regarding the MDGs. '€œIn ASEAN we have the highest rate of maternal deaths, even compared to Lao PDR and Cambodia,'€ said Fasli.

Fasli added that the 2012 MMR of 359 per 100,000 live births had declined significantly from 692 per 100,000 in the 1970s, though it remained the same until now and far behind the 102 post-natal deaths
per 100,000 live births targeted in the MDGs.

Apart from improving maternal health, the MDG goals include achieving basic education for all and combating HIV/AIDS and other epidemics.