Note: Solid lines in Figure 1 link the main
pathways through which various factors influence health outcomes, and the
dashed lines refer to some of the feedbacks and secondary linkages that should
be considered.
Source: Adapted from Wagstaff A (2002), ”Poverty and
Health Sector Inequalities”. Bulletin of the World Health Organisations
80(2),99
Millennium Development Goals
Goal 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3. Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4. Reduce child mortality
Goal 5. Improve maternal health
Goal 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7. Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8. Develop a global partnership for development
The Millennium Goals, which grew out
of the United Nations Millennium Declaration adopted by 189 Member States in
2000, provide the new international framework for measuring progress towards
sustaining development and eliminating poverty. Of the eight Goals, three –
improve maternal health, reduce child mortality and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria
and other diseases – are directly related to reproductive and sexual health,
while four others – eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal
primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, and ensure
environmental sustainability – have a close relationship with health, including
reproductive health. Among the specific targets are:
·
To
reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio;
·
To
reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate;
·
To
have halted by 2015, and begun to reverse, the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Additional benchmarks were agreed in
1999 at the twenty-first special session of the United Nations General Assembly
for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the programme of
Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. For
example, by 2015, the proportion of all births assisted by skilled attendants
should reach 90% globally and at least 60% in countries with high rates of
maternal death.*