Asia's poor may rise another 21 mln on crisis squeeze

MANILA (Reuters) - The global economic downturn could push 21 million people in the Asia-Pacific region into extreme poverty, a UN-led study showed on Wednesday, urging governments to add social protection measures in their stimulus programmes.

"There's been too much focus on just economic growth, and not enough on how that growth is being distributed and what are the other parts of society that need to be developed like health insurance, pension, social protection system," Ajay Chhibber, regional director for the United Nations Development Programme, said.

The study by the UNDP and the Asian Development Bank is aimed at assessing progress in achieving targets set under the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) programme such as poverty eradication and greater access to education.

The global economic and financial crisis could trap an additional 17 million people on incomes of less than $1.25 (79 pence) a day in 2009 and another 4 million in 2010, according to the report.

"Most stimulus measures have focussed on areas other than social expenditures," said Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, vice president at ADB.

"If we are to address the human impacts of the economic slowdown and achieve the MDGs, then social spending needs to be stepped up substantially."

Only 20 percent of the unemployed and underemployed in Asia have access to unemployment benefits and only 30 percent of the elderly receive pensions, according to the report.

Asia, even with governments facing widening budget deficits, can afford to spend on achieving the development goals with the region's total foreign reserves at an estimated $4 trillion, said Noeleen Heyzer, UN undersecretary general.

"We have the resources in Asia to be able to put in place such systems for our people and they shouldn't have to rely on friends and family whenever somebody falls sick or there's a natural disaster," said Chhibber.

Other goals under MDG include fighting HIV/AIDS and other diseases, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and promoting gender equality.

(Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)