United Nations Millennium Development Goals
The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest. From this site, explore the efforts of the UN and its partners for building a better world.
What's Going On?
MDGs-health targets make gains
The World Health Statistics 2013 report cites progress in reducing child and maternal deaths, improving nutrition and reducing deaths and illness from HIV infection, tuberculosis and malaria.
“Intensive efforts to achieve the MDGs have clearly improved health for people all over the world,” says Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, (WHO). “However, the situation is far from satisfactory as progress is uneven and large gaps persist between and within countries,” adds the Director-General.
World Health Statistics 2013 contains WHO’s annual compilation of health-related data for its 194 Member States, and includes a summary of the progress made towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and associated targets.
WHO and UNICEF call for progress on sanitation
Some 2.4 billion people will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015 but faster progress on sanitation is possible, according to a joint WHO/UNICEF report. “There is an urgent need to ensure all the necessary pieces are in place – political commitment, funding, leadership – so the world can accelerate progress and reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) sanitation target” said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment.
Among the key findings from the latest 2011 data, the report highlights that almost two-thirds of the world’s population had access to improved sanitation facilities, an increase of almost 1.9 billion people since 1990. The MDG drinking water target had been met and surpassed by 2010.
The report complements the call to action by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson for the world community to increase investment in proper sanitation and end open defecation by 2025.
Taking action for ‘Every Woman, Every Child’
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Spearheaded by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) effort aims to save the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015.
EWEC has brought together over 200 partners and secured new funding for women’s and children’s health. With less than 1000 days until the 2015 target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), initiatives such as EWEC play a key role in building partnerships to accelerate achievements for improving maternal and child health.
The UN Foundation, JP Morgan and the MDG Health Alliance organized a 'Taking Action' summit in New York on 7 May to spotlight the key role the private sector can play in improving maternal health.
On 8 May, as part of the Global Mom Relay in support of the EWEC, Arianna Huffington, Jennifer Lopez and others participated in Mom+Social to connect moms everywhere through the power of social media. Get involved today!
Midwives contribute to progress on health-related MDGs
Sapa, Viet Nam. UN Photo/Kibae Park.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) urged nations to work together to address the inequalities and inaccessibility of midwifery services. According to UNFPA, midwives save the lives of some 300,000 women each year and 10 times as many infants.
In a joint statement for the International Day of the Midwife, UNFPA and ICM stated, “The tireless work of midwives is also a crucial step towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, targets A and B, by 2015 and beyond.” 5 May marked the International Day of the Midwife.
Glimmers of hope
Herat, Afghanistan. UN Photo/
Eric Kanalstein
World Bank analysis from the Global Monitoring Report 2013 reveals that twenty fragile and conflict-affected states have recently met one or more targets under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The greatest progress has been on gender parity in education. The analysis also finds that eight fragile and conflict affected states have met the goal to halve extreme poverty and six fragile and conflict-affected countries have met the target on improved access to water.
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said, “While these successes offer hope, the reality is that far too many fragile and conflict-affected countries lag behind the rest of the world. We need to offer timely and critical support to improve the lives of people living in these fragile countries.”