MDG magazine

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Poverty Poverty is still an important issue in many countries. Almost 850 million people go hungry every night and 1.2 billion people live on less than a dollar a day. For this goal, the United Nations set two targets. The first target is, “Halve between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than a dollar a day.” The second goal is, “Halve between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people who suffer from extreme hunger.” These targets are really important to our world, but unfortunately, sub-Saharan Africa is not on track to reach them. A huge number of poor people live in South Asia, but in sub-Saharan Africa more than 40 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. Luckily the world is improving. Between 1990 and 2004 the number of people living in extreme poverty fell from one third to less than one fifth. The people can really improve the world over the coming years. There are many ways to reach these targets. Two of these solutions are, reforming international trade with fair trade items and stopping climate change. Stopping climate change helps because if the weather gets warmer, then glaciers next to villages might melt and start a flood that can destroy whole areas of land. All people should have their rights and could meet their basic needs. The countries that can help should work together. We can stop poverty!

These are girls carrying water on their heads.

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Dear Editor, I, too, heard about the Millennium Development Goals. All of them are important, but I think goal number two is the most important. Goal number two is, “To educate every child”. I am most concerned about this goal because if we achieve this goal, then mostly every goal is covered. Education can lower poverty because if a person gets a job, he/she can help his/her community and even help other communities escape from poverty. Education can also get equal chances for girls and women because if every child gets educated that means girls, too, can get a job and live a better and happier life. Goal number four, “To reduce child mortality” can be helped with education because educated people can provide their children the vaccines and tools to stay healthy. “To improve maternal health” is getting a solution with education because if hospitals are in reachable distance, affordable and have good, educated doctors, less mothers will die and fewer children will be born sick. Education can help to fight infectious diseases because if children learn in school how to fight these diseases they will most probably be able to protect themselves. Education can help the environment because if people get educated they might invent things that are very environmentally friendly and also helpful to us. “To share the responsibility for making the world a better place” is the eighth goal. It is can be reached with education because if people are educated they will most probably learn about rights and responsibilities so they can help the world together. This is why I think “To educate every child” is the most important goal of all. I really hope that we can achieve this goal. I help if I can.

From a person who wants to help.

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This picture shows African children having recess.

This picture shows children learning in Africa.

Educate Every Child

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R - ReporterA - Ambassador

R – Hello Mr. Ambassador. I have some questions for you to ask about gender inequality.A – Hello.R – Is gender inequality only a goal for developing countries?A – Not only. In fact in the developed world girls have the same access to education as boys, but unfortunately there is a difference between men and women doing the same jobs. Western countries have different degrees of reaching the target “Equal payment for equal work” but all of them have to improve their records. Developing nations are facing more serious challenges to reach gender equality in terms of education, work, payment and rights in general.R – Do girls have the same chance of survival as boys?A – Certain societies prefer boys. They can inherit properties unlike girls. They are offered better chances to have education than their sisters. In those societies, they consider boys assets and girls as liabilities. In some extreme cases, families get rid of newly born baby girls. That’s why some 100 million girls and women are missing from the social structure of South Asian societies.R – Why is that the girls are treated unequally?A – There is a number of reasons. First: tradition. Traditional societies expect girls and women to stay at home, to serve the men in the house. Second: religion. Some religions impose strict rules of subordination of women to men. Third: poverty. In some countries where families cannot afford to educate all their children, they give preference to boys because boys are considered a better investment.R – How can we provide equal rights for girls?A – Usually it doesn’t happen over-night. Traditions are very slow and difficult to change. Poverty doesn’t go away quickly either. What definitely can be done is a better legislation. Laws should be improved to guarantee gender equality. Education plays a very important role to help understanding that gender discrimination cannot serve the progress of the society.R - Thank you.A - My pleasure.

These girls are rag pickers. They search for usable things in trash.

This picture shows an African woman working.

Equal Chances for Girls

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Child mortality and maternal health are two very important issues still in many countries. Both of these goals can be reached if god living conditions and the necessary vaccines are provided. Below, are some fast facts about child mortality and maternal health.

• Every year 10 million children die from preventable diseases.• One out of ten children die before their fifth birthday in developing countries.• 400 thousand children are killed from malaria every year.• In sub-Saharan Africa children are 19 percent more likely to die than in rich

countries.• Even though in the 1990’s the number of children who die from diarrhoea

decreased it is still the major cause of child mortality.• HIV/AIDS, malaria, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections are the main

illnesses that cause child mortality• 500 thousand women die in childbirth and pregnancy each year.• More than 50 million women suffer from pregnancy related illnesses and disability

each year, worldwide.• The day the child is born, in poorer countries, is often the day the mother dies.

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This picture shows an African woman and her child getting a vaccine.

This is a mosquito net designed for babies.

Child Mortality and Maternal Health

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A - A High Ranking Official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of HungaryR - Reporter

R – Good afternoon Mr. Ambassador. I will ask you some questions about infectious diseases.A – Hello.R - What do you think are the most dangerous diseases and why?

A - In the developing countries, AIDS, malaria and cholera are the most fatal ones. They claim annually more than half million lives. While AIDS is a subject of intensive research, malaria and cholera could be affectively cured. Some good medicines exist, but poorer countries have difficulties to pay for these expensive treatments. Therefore diseases that should not be mortal any longer still kill and can wipe out complete communities.

R - Do these diseases only affect developing countries?

A - Certainly not. AIDS is spreading all over the world, although retroviral medicines can be applied, but still we are losing a huge number of people annually. Malaria and cholera should not be a common risk factor in the developed world, but because of the intensive traffic and tourism among the countries germs can appear in places where they have been eradicated a long time ago.

R - Might there be new infections in the next few years?

A - Unfortunately there might be new ones. Viruses can mutate very quickly. They can turn into a completely new brand, and causing symptoms unknown before. For example, if the bird flu virus mutates, it can cause a fatal pandamia because it takes time to develop the affective medicine.

R - What do you think we can do to combat these diseases?

A - We need to preserve a high standard of hygiene in our own countries. We have to spend more on medical and pharmaceutical research. We have to provide aid and assistance to countries in need to combat the infectious diseases locally. And finally we have to develop measures of medical control related to the mass migration of people.R - Thank you for the report.A - Thank you.

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This is a boy getting a vaccine.

This is a malaria mosquito stinging a person

Infectious Diseases

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Slums are Unhealthy to live in.Slum dwellers live next toTrash.All people should live In a clean environment.Nobody in slums has theAccess to clean water.Bacteria spread overLot’s of places.Epidemics occur.

Environment protection isNecessary andVital.In our days we are Responsible to clean Our environment.Now is the time to help fillMore of the Earth’s needs.Nature should be respectedTo provide a better planet for everyone.

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This garbage is poured into a river.

This is a factory polluting.

Sustainable Environment

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Share toHelp.All the people have the Responsibility for making Earth a better place.

Rights are really important.Earth needs help.So manyPeople can donate but don’t.Over time things change.Never say never. Some societies need more money to survive.It isn’t impossible to reach goal eight.Better futures are possible.It’s all our responsibility.Lends of money that are illegal harmI can helpTo save the people.You can help too!

This is a woman who got a water buffalo as a donation.

These are some African people working.

Share Responsibility