Millennium Development Goals Rachel Reyes

Goal one – Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. The goals of the government to achieve this is to: Halve the amount of people that have an income less than $1 a day between the time period of 1990 and Be able to give full and productive employment and work for all. This includes both women and young people. Halve the amount of people who suffer from hunger between 1990 and The number of people in poverty worldwide is continuously decreasing. Australia has done this by improving agriculture, infrastructure and employment opportunities in developing countries. They have helped increase food production and distribution in Asia, the Pacific and Africa. They have improved to transport infrastructures and have provided community development programs to encourage people to overcome poverty. Some examples of this include the Seed of Life program in East Timor, Caritas Australia supported a agricultural program in eastern Uganda, and have supported the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee’s poverty reduction program.

Goal Two – Achieve Universal Primary Education The government wants to ensure that children of both genders may be able to complete a full course of primary schooling by This resulted in the enrolment of children in primary education to increase over the past ten years with 89% of children enrolled in schools. Australia has helped this by improving the access and quality of primary and secondary education in countries including Asia, the Pacific Region and Africa. They have also supported global education efforts by initiating the ‘Education for all – fast move initiative’. They have also provided opportunities for children with disabilities and children living in conflict areas for education. Examples include: increasing the number of elementary schools in Papua New Guinea and creating new buildings in the Siraro district.

Goal 3 –Promote gender equality and empower women. They want to make both genders equal and eliminate the discrimination between males and females in primary and secondary education by By 2015 they want all levels of education to achieve this change. Although there has been an increase in the amount of women having an education, females and males still suffer from inequality. Australia has supported the development in equality for all genders through supporting improvements to girl’s education in developing countries, supported women’s leadership in government, business and the community; increased assistance to those women who were violated in Melanesia and East Timor. An example of this includes building women’s confidence and skills in Nepal.

Goal 4 –Reduce Child Morality The government wants to reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate of children under the age of 5 between 1990 and By 2008, child mortality rate has dropped by 30%. Australia has helped this by supporting child vaccination programs in developing countries, improving child nutrition. An example of this is how they are helping the children of Papua New Guinea.

Goal 5 - Improve Maternal Health Their goal is to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by two –thirds between 1990 and They want all people to have access to reproductive health. The progress seen now shows that it is insufficient to achieve the target although it is improving. Australia has helped this by supporting the training of birth attendants and mid-wives in the Asian Pacific Region, and have provided programs to give health support to women. Examples of this include treating fistula in Ethiopia and training midwives in Cambodia.

Goal 6 – Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. By 2015, they want to have stopped and reverse the spread of HIV and AIDS. By 2010, they want all people to be able to access treatment for HIV and AIDS By 2015, they want to have stopped and reverse the incidence of malaria and other diseases. HIV infection rates and deaths have decreased over time. Australia has helped this by having a successful approach towards the prevention and treatment of HIV aids. This information has been shared with developing countries. It has also helped reduce Malaria in the Pacific. They have also developed better ways in diagnosing and treating tuberculosis and other non- communicable diseases in the region.

Goal 7 – Ensure Environmental Sustainability Reverse the loss of environmental resources by integrating significant principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs. By 2010, they want to see a significant decrease of biodiversity loss. By 2015, they want all people to be able to have access to safe drinking water and basic sanitisation. By 2020, they want to develop a significant improvement of at least 100 million slum dwellers.

Goal 8 – Develop a global partnership for development They want to support the needs of least developed countries, landlocked countries and small islands. They want to develop a financial system that is open, rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory. Address the debt of developing countries. Provide affordable and essential drugs to developing countries. They will do this with assistance from pharmaceutical companies. Make available benefits of new technologies, like information and communication, with assistance from the private sector.