Millenium Development Goals

What are the Millenium Development Goals?

In September 2000, the United Nations pledged to accomplish a set of eight goals to halve poverty in the world by 2015.

The Goals are:-

Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. To halve the proportion of people who live on less than the equivalent of US$1 (60p) a day, and who are hungry.

Achieve universal primary education. All children (boys and girls) should be able to complete a full course of primary schooling in every part of the world.

Promote gender equality and empower women. Equal educational opportunities at all levels. Empower women in cultural gender issues e.g. female circumcision.

Reduce child mortality. Reduce by two-thirds the number of children who die under five years of age. A child dies of poverty related diseases every three seconds.

Improve maternal health. Reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters, so women need not fear childbirth.

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Reverse the spread of these diseases by 2015.

Ensure environmental sustainability. Make drinking water safer and improve the lives of 100 million slum dwellers, while reversing the loss of environmental resources and addressing climate change.

Develop a global partnership for development. Enable donors, governments, corporations, faith based groups, non-governmental organizations and individuals to work together to achieve these goals.