As part of the strategy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ghana will focus on five of the goals because of their multi-dimensional linkages to the other 17."These five are decent work, basic education, sanitation and hygiene, energy efficiency and effective and strengthened institutions," President John Dramani Mahama said.The President made this known in Accra yesterday when he launched the Voluntary National Review Report (VNR) on the SDGs.The VNRs aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, chal­lenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.The VNRs also seek to strengthen policies and institutions of government and to mobilise multi-stakeholder support and partnerships for the implementation of the Goals.According to President Mahama, these five areas of focus are not isolated targets."When a girl in Savannah gets access to clean water, school and nutritious meals, she helps advance the five SDGs simulta­neously."This intelligent prioritisation reflects our alignment with the SDG transitions, the Africa Union Agenda 2063 and our medium term national development framework," President Mahama stated.Ghana, President Mahama said, was implementing an integrated national fi­nancing framework to align private exter­nal financing and tap into climate finance opportunities to expand the fiscal space to confront illicit financial flows that deprive the country of vital resources.To the youth, President Mahama said they were not just recipients of the SDGs but their authors and drivers."Whether you are innovating in agri-tech, coding new apps, leading climate action or organising your communities, you are the heartbeat of this SDG vision," he said.Responding to aspects of the report which says Ghana records 300 maternal deaths in every 100,000 births, President Mahama said that figure was unpleasant."We must make every single health facility aim for zero maternal mortality.

It is a statistic until it is your sister, wife or relative."It is my hope that the next time we compile our VNR, we'll beat the 300 barrier and go down but the best figure is zero," President Mahama noted.In his view, the VNR is indicative of progress which has been made so far in the attainment of the SDGs. BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI