Poverty Information: 2011 UN Millenium Goals Report

The following quotes are taken from Report on the UN Millenium Goals 2011.

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

"Robust growth in the first half of the decade reduced the number of people in developing countries living on less than $1.25 a day from about 1.8 billion in 1990 to 1.4 billion in 2005. At the same time, the corresponding poverty rate dropped from 46 per cent to 27 per cent. The economic and financial crisis that began in the advanced countries of North America and Europe in 2008 sparked declines in commodity prices, trade and investment, resulting in slower growth globally. Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Despite these declines, current trends suggest that the momentum of growth in the developing world remains strong enough to sustain the progress needed to reach the global poverty-reduction target. Based on recently updated projections from the World Bank, the overall poverty rate is still expected to fall below 15 per cent by 2015, indicating that the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target can be met.... By 2015, the number of people in developing countries living on less than $1.25 a day is projected to fall below 900 million.... In the developed regions, the employment-to population ratio dropped from 56.8 per cent in 2007 to 55.4 per cent in 2009, with a further drop to 54.8 per cent in 2010... The proportion of people in the developing world who went hungry in 2005-2007 remained stable at 16 per cent... Nutrition must be given higher priority in national development... However, progress in the developing regions overall is insufficient to reach the target by 2015."

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

"The net enrolment ratio has gone up by just 7 percentage points since 1999, reaching 89 per cent in 2009. In more recent years, progress has actually slowed, with an increase of just 2 percentage points between 2004 and 2009, dimming prospects for reaching the MDG target of universal primary education by 2015... With an 18-percentage-point gain between 1999 and 2009, sub-Saharan Africa has the best record for improvement, followed by Southern Asia and Northern Africa... Current statistics show that the world is far from meeting that goal. Only 87 out of 100 children in the developing regions complete primary education.... The total number of children out of school fell from 106 million to 67 million between 1999 and 2009."

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

"In developing regions, 96 girls were enrolled in primary and in secondary school for every 100 boys in 2009. This is a significant improvement since 1999, when the ratios were 91 and 88, respectively... Wide gaps remain in women's access to paid work in at least half of all regions... Representation by women in parliament is at an all-time high, but falls shamefully short of parity... the unemployment rate for men declined faster than that for women. This trend—combined with the fact that women's unemployment rates already exceeded those of men—suggests that the gap between women and men in many regions will not close any time soon."

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

"Steady progress is being made in reducing child deaths. Globally, the mortality rate for children under five has declined by a third, from 89 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 60 in 2009. Despite population growth, the number of deaths in children under five worldwide declined from 12.4 million in 1990 to 8.1 million in 2009, which translates into nearly 12,000 fewer children dying each day.... The highest levels of under-five mortality continue to be found in sub-Saharan Africa, where one in eight children die before the age of five... Increasing evidence suggests that the MDG target can be reached, but only with substantial and accelerated action to eliminate the leading killers of children. In sub-Saharan Africa, diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia are responsible for more than half the deaths of children under five. In Southern Asia, over half of all childhood deaths occur in the first 28 days after birth, pointing to the need for better post-natal care. In both regions, undernutrition is an underlying cause of a third of these deaths. Special efforts to fight pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, while bolstering nutrition, could save the lives of millions of children. A mother's education is key in determining whether her children will survive their first five years of life.In all developing regions, children of mothers with some education are at less risk of dying. A child's chances of surviving increase even further if their mother has a secondary or higher education. Child deaths due to measles have plummeted, but shortfalls in funding put continued success in jeopardy... Children who are poor and hardest to reach still lack access to the lifesaving measles vaccine."

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

"Despite progress, pregnancy remains a major health risk for women in several regions... Major gains have been made in increasing skilled attendance at birth, most notably in Northern Africa and Southern Asia... The vast majority of maternal deaths are avoidable. The largest proportion of such deaths are caused by obstetric haemorrhage, Studies have also shown that the likelihood of maternal death increases among women who have many children, are poorly educated, are either very young or very old, and who are subjected to gender discrimination. In developing regions overall, the proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health personnel rose from 55 per cent in 1990 to 65 per cent in 2009... Reaching adolescents is critical to improving maternal health and achieving other Millennium Development Goal... Aid for family planning has fallen in all recipient countries."

Goal 6:Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

"New HIV infections are declining, led by subSaharan Africa, but trends in some other regions are worrisome. The number of people living with HIV continues to rise, due to life-prolonging treatment... Most young people lack comprehensive knowledge of HIV, but now know specific ways to prevent its spread.... More children orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa are now in school, increasing their chances of receiving vital protection and support... Steady progress is being made in reducing the risk of HIV in newborns... Intensive control efforts have cut deaths from malaria by 20 per cent, with major advances in hard-hit African countries.... The incidence of tuberculosis is falling, bringing the MDG target within sight. Tuberculosis prevalence and mortality are also declining. Up to 6 million lives have been saved since 1995, thanks to an effective international strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis."

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

"Forests are disappearing rapidly in South America and Africa, while Asia—led by China—registers net gains... Although still alarmingly high, the rate of deforestation and loss of forest from natural causes is slowing down... Despite the downturn in economic activity, global greenhouse gas emissions continue their ascent... The global tide of extinctions continues unabated... Global marine resources continue to decline...the International Union for Conservation of Nature and its partners have compiled what is known as the Red List Index, now available for all the world's birds (10,000 species), mammals (4,500 species) and amphibians (5,700 species). The latest indices show that, overall, species are declining in population and range and are moving towards extinction—with consequences for the ecosystem services upon which all people depend.... The limits for sustainable water resources have already been exceeded in Western Asia and Northern Africa... The world is likely to surpass the drinking water target, though more than 1 in 10 people may still be without access in 2015."

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

"Aid to developing countries is at a record high, but falls short of promises made in 2005... ODA outlook: Expect leaner years ahead... In 2010, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden continued to exceed the United Nations target for ODA of 0.7 per cent of their gross national income (GNI). ..Other DAC member countries, including Australia, Canada, Norway, Switzerland and the United States, also made promises for 2010 that they kept.... The world is increasingly interconnected through mobile, high-speed communications... Two thirds of the world's population have yet to gain access to the Internet."



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