Is your country on track?

Although progress has been made toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, many parts of the world are still far off track. In some countries, the quality of life for poor people is getting even worse!

© UNICEF/HQ98-0898/LeMoyne

A boy sniffs glue from a bag while examining an illuminated map near the train station in Bucharest, the capital. Many Romanian street children have no link with their natural family.

In order to reach all the Goals by 2015, the poor countries and the rich countries must work together. The poor countries must make changes in the way they govern while the rich countries must increase aid, trade opportunities and debt relief.
 
YOU also have a role in the fight to end poverty by 2015!  You should be aware of the promises your country’s government has made and should follow its progress in achieving the MDGs. 

To find out if your country is on track, check out the figures at the Millennium Indicators Database.  Click on “Country Profiles” on the left hand navigation and select your country's name from the list, then select a widest range of years to get the most comprehensive figures (figures for the baseline year of 1990 may not be available in every case, so take the nearest year). You should then be able to answer the following questions (remember that every indicator may not be available for every country):

• What percentage of girls are currently in primary education in your country, according to the latest figures available? And what percentage of boys? (Look in the country profile under 'Education, percentage of pupils starting grade 1 reaching grade 5, boys/girls'.)

• If deaths of under-5s are reduced by two thirds from the 1990 baseline figure, what will the new mortality rate be? (Look under 'Children under 5 mortality rate per 1,000 live births'.)

• If deaths of women in childbirth are reduced by three quarters (3/4), what will the new mortality rate be? (Look under 'Maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births'.)

• What percentage of the population have access to clean drinking water? (Look under 'Water, percentage of population with access to improved drinking water sources, total'.) And what percentage have access to adequate sanitation? (Look under ' Sanitation, percentage of population with access to improved sanitation, total'.)