In September 2000, 189 countries adopted the Millennium Declaration, a commitment by rich and poor nations alike to end extreme poverty around the world. Elements of the declaration were translated into a roadmap — the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) — that sets targets to be reached by 2015.
Below is a list of the MDGs that relate to health concerns, and a look at Mozambique’s progress.
| GOAL: Reduce child mortality | |
|---|---|
| TARGET | MOZAMBIQUE’S PROGRESS |
| Reduce the under-five mortality rate by 66% | Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) 1990: 235 2006: 138 Target: 108 Infant mortality rate (0-1 year, per 1,000 live births) |
| GOAL: Improve maternal health | |
| TARGET | MOZAMBIQUE’S PROGRESS |
| Reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters | Maternal mortality ratio (number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) 2005: 520 Target: 250 Percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel |
| GOAL: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases | |
| TARGET | MOZAMBIQUE’S PROGRESS |
| Stop and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS | HIV prevalence among pregnant women aged 15-24 years 2002: 14.7% 2003: 12.9% |
| Stop and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases | Prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis 2001: 9.7% 2003: 11% Target: 6.0% Prevalence and death rates associated with malaria |
| GOAL: Ensure environmental sustainability | |
| TARGET | MOZAMBIQUE’S PROGRESS |
| Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking-water and sanitation | Percentage of population with using an improved water source, urban and rural 2001: 37.1% 2004: 43% Target: 70% |
| Achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 | Percentage of population using adequate sanitation facilities, urban and rural 2004: 32% Target: 60% |
| GOAL: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger | |
| TARGET | MOZAMBIQUE’S PROGRESS |
| Reduce the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 50% | Prevalence of underweight children under five years of age 2001: 26% 2003: 23.7% Target: 17% |
Sources: Report on the Millennium Development Goals: Mozambique 2005 (pdf), The State of the World’s Children 2008: Child Survival (UNICEF)
