The implementation of policies is the biggest setback in improving the quality of life of people in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, Social Development Minister Edna Molewa said on Friday.

Addressing a SADC ministers' conference on population and development in Pretoria, Molewa said leadership and resources were the biggest problem in implementing sound policies.

"We do need strong leadership, to lead in voice and act and in provision of resources".

Molewa said that while there had been implementation problems, gains had been made in addressing women's and adolescents' sexual and reproductive health and rights.

"Our total fertility rate has dropped to fewer than 2,6 children per women as a reflection of the success of our reproductive health services including maternal health and neonatal care and the education and general empowerment of women".

Molewa said South Africa was still on track to meet its millennium development goals by 2014 despite the financial recession.

"We do not underestimate the impact that this global economic crisis has had... but we go back and really try to ensure that there is no drawback or setback on the implementation.

"There is no way we can look away from implementing our millennium development goals."

Molewa highlighted the prevention of HIV/Aids and the rollout of antiretroviral drugs as a major focus.

Regional African director for the United Nations Population Fund, Bunmi Makinwa, agreed that implementation was a problem.

He said South Africa had some of the best policies in the world but there was a "glaring" discrepancy between the making of these policies and acting on them.

"The most glaring indication of implementation in countries like South Africa and Swaziland is that they have a gap between the budget and the expenditure.

"Instead of spending the R100 [that they were allocated] they only spend R30. Such investment is meaningless until we start implementing the policies," said Makinwa.