Progress toward the millennium development goals in Africa

This study produced by Cornell University analyses demographic and health surveys (DHS) to examine the progress of African countries in achieving six of the seven millennium development goals (MDGs). The evidence suggests that, in the absence of dramatic rates of improvement in most measures of living standards, the MDGs are not going to be reached for most indicators in most countries. The results are particularly sobering for rural areas, where living standards are universally lower, and where rates of progress lag behind urban areas.

The authors acknowledge that, as more DHS surveys are completed, it will be important to update the study’s analysis in order to extend the currently limited period of coverage. However, they argue that, despite the study’s limitations, it is clear that performance with regard to achieving the MDGs in Africa has been poor. They point out that the worst off countries in sub-Saharan Africa are not even represented by the surveys, indicating that the situation is far worse. The authors conclude that quite substantial revisions in the MDGs will be necessary to avoid widespread failure to achieve targets across the continent. [adapted from author]