E/C.12/MRT/CO/1 22. The Committee notes with concern that, despite the progress achieved in poverty reduction, a large proportion of the population, especially women, former slaves and descendants of slaves, still lives in poverty, including extreme poverty. The Committee is particularly concerned that disparities among the various wilayas remain significant, in spite of the implementation of Regional Programmes for Poverty Reduction (art. 11). The Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to further reduce poverty and, in particular, eliminate extreme poverty, by paying particular attention to women, former slaves and descendants of slaves as well as disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups living in the wilayas most affected by poverty. The Committee requests the State party to include in its next periodic report disaggregated and comparative data, by year and by wilaya, on the percentage of the population living in poverty and extreme poverty. The Committee draws the State party’s attention to its statement on poverty and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 23. While acknowledging the severe draught that often affects the State party, the Committee notes with concern the frequent food crises occurring in the State party as well as the chronic food insecurity which has affected some 500,000 to 2 million persons over the last five years.. Moreover, the Committee is concerned that, in spite] of the measures taken by the State party to respond to food shortages such as rapid action programmes, it did not receive information about steps taken to address the structural causes of food insecurity, as identified by the Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire (art. 11). The Committee urges the State party to strengthen its food security mechanisms, from production to distribution. The Committee requests the State party to include, in its next periodic report, information on the measures taken in this regard and the results achieved. The Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 12 (1999) on the right to adequate food. 24. The Committee regrets that the State party has not provided information on the occurrence of homelessness, forced evictions or on the shortage of social housing, nor on the measures taken to address them (art. 11). The Committee requests the State party to include in its next periodic report detailed information on measures taken to address the issues of homelessness, forced evictions, and the shortage of social housing, including both in urban and rural areas. 25. The Committee is concerned that, in spite of the implementation of the 2009-2011 National Action Plan, access to basic health services remains limited in rural and remote areas,. Moreover, the Committee expresses concern at the shortages of qualified staff and medical equipment. The Committee is also concerned that health care is unaffordable for the majority of the population while only civil servants and parliamentarians can enrol in the State party’s medical insurance scheme (art. 12). The Committee recommends that the State party pursue the decentralization of health-care resources and activities with a view to achieving universality of healthcare services. The Committee also calls on the State party to implement the national human resources plan with emphasis on the quality of medical training and continuing education for health-care professionals and the retention of staff in remote areas. The Committee also urges the State party to devise health-care insurance schemes so as to ensure that payment for health-care services is affordable for all and that poorer households are not disproportionately burdened by health expenses. The Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health. 6