Thinking Globally

It's an artificial occasion, but then again, most occasions are artificial. With about 1,000 days to go until the target date for the UN's Millennium Development goals, the organization is making a marketing push and they are getting some attention. Not in the United States, of course, where people generally don't give a rat's ass about the rest of the world. But BMJ, among other durn furriners, has marked the occasion with a couple of commentaries.Charles Kenney of the Center for Global Development  considers what new set of goals should be established once the 2015 target has passed. Summarizing progress so far, we have already "halved the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day," we're basically on the way toward getting as many girls into school as boys (with exceptions, obviously), and lives of slum dwellers have been improved in accordance with the goal. We aren't doing so well in other areas. More than 15% of people in poor countries are still malnourished, gender equity aside 10% of children still don't get enrolled in primary school, mortality among children under 5 has fallen but remains at more than 6%, and maternal deaths have not fallen enough either. Results with HIV are mixed, with declining incidence but prevalence still rising and many people not being treated.A lot of the progress, particularly on poverty, is actually attributable to strong economic growth in China and India. Sub-Saharan Africa in particular hasn't done so well. Supporting ...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Source Type: blogs