Today, in the midst of unprecedented global wealth, over 1 billion people live in abject poverty on less than $1 a day. 50,000 people die each day from preventable, poverty-related diseases. 800 million people are going hungry in a bountiful creation. Poverty is a major threat to life, security, and sustainable development, and it is unnecessary. Solutions are known and global resources are more than adequate to end extreme poverty.
The Millennium Development Goals: Where are we at?
Goal 1: Eradicate Hunger and Extreme Poverty
The UN anticipates that, on the whole, global poverty will be halved by 2015. Poverty reduction rates, however, still vary greatly by region.
• The global economic recession slowed poverty reduction rates significantly.
• Rapid economic growth in China lifted 475 million people out of extreme poverty, but sub-Saharan Africa saw 100 million more extremely impoverished people in 2005 than in 1990.
• Employment growth rates have stagnated in most of the world; no progress is foreseen in sub-Saharan Africa.
• By 2015, one billion people globally are still expected to live in extreme poverty.
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Significant progress is being made, but too slowly to achieve this goal by 2015.
• Sub-Saharan Africa saw a 15 percent increase in enrollment, but remains home to nearly half of the world’s 72 million
out-of-school children; Southern Asia follows with 18 million.
• The recession led to education budget cuts worldwide, slowing down the rate of progress on this goal. [/col_34]
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Despite some progress in this area, the 2005 gender equality goal for primary and secondary school has yet to be achieved.
• In the workforce, women continue to assume the greatest share of unpaid and/or vulnerable work.
• In politics, the increase in the proportion of women holding leadership positions remains slow.[/col_34]
The under-five mortality rate is declining in most regions due to intensified child survival efforts. • 2007: global average birth mortality rate was 67 deaths per 1,000 live births—down from 93 in 1990. • Sub-Saharan Africa: one-in-seven children die before their fifth birthday; this region accounts for half of global deaths under-five.
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
The least progress has been made toward this goal, but some progress has been made in some regions. • Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births: Developed Regions: 9; Developing Regions: 450; Worst 14 countries in • Pressing issues: availability of health personnel, antenatal care, family planning and young pregnancies.
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
this category: 1,000+
The number of newly-HIV-infected people is decreasing, but the number of people living with HIV is rising. • Increased access to antiretroviral treatment has resulted in increased life expectancy amongst AIDS patients. • Global funding for malaria control has increased. • The number of new tuberculosis cases has peaked and is leveling off; prevalence and mortality rates are dropping, but the goal of halving the prevalence of and mortality from TB by 2015 will likely not be met.
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and remind us of the urgency of the climate change problem. • Global CO2 emissions (billions of metric tons): Year 1990: 21.9; Year 2006: 28.7 • Much needed action in reducing number of species under threat of extinction and fish species under duress. • Focus needed to avert global water crisis, through more efficient use of water resources, especially in agriculture.
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Honouring commitments to increase aid is crucial during this time of economic crisis. • Total aid still short of UN target of 0.7 percent of GNI; only five countries reached goal in 2008. • Significant improvement in proportion of imports from developing countries admitted duty free by developed countries in 2007. • As of March 2009, 24 of 35 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries received $54.3 billion in committed debt relief in exchange for certain conditions; Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative also provided $22.8 billion in additional assistance to some of these countries.
Goal 8: Develop Global Partnerships for Development
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