Seventy-eight per cent of the population have access to safe drinking water. The government is committed to a number of important global goals, such as Health for All and Education for All by the year 2000, and the elimination of iodine deficiency disorders. One of the first few countries to achieve Universal Child Immunization in 1990, Bhutan is more than likely to achieve these targets. Having emerged from years of isolation, the country is striving to establish an infrastructure where none existed and to meet the basic needs of a population scattered across rugged mountain ranges. Even as health workers negotiate the high passes and deep valleys, children still die from such preventable illnesses as acute respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases.
Some people remain out of reach of medical facilities.
Maternal and infant mortality rates were one of the highest in the South Asian region, with serious implications for the small population. There is an acute shortage of teachers, and many children walk for many hours to reach their schools. There are not enough classrooms to cope with growing demand. Bhutan also faces the challenge of improving the quality and relevance of its education system, in view of the transformation of its rural and fast urbanizing communities. There is good reason for optimism, however, as the kingdom adopts a unique approach, drawing on its strong tradition of community participation and the government's determination to increase decentralization and involve the people in planning and implementing all activities.