The Millennium Development Goals - Case Study Example

The Millennium Development Goals are a set of objectives and aims that are intended to be achieved by the umbrella United Nations body. The goals are eight in number and have been ratified by the one hundred and one member states of the United Nations who seek to device ways and avenues to improve the quality of life and making the welfare of the society to be better. These goals are designed to forge a common plan towards combating some of the challenges and problems that have bedeviled the world over the past. It is important to note and mention that the goals are achievable, realistic and actionable by all the member states (Hogan, 2010). The United Nations helped to design and formulate policy frameworks of achieving the goals by the year 2015. Thus, the goals were framed and a time allowance given to allow for their implementation and the member states to work on them. This paper and exposition will therefore discuss the successes and the extent to which the millennium development goals have been achieved and realized by the world as a whole. To begin with, there was the goals of “eradicating extreme poverty and hunger,” due to the fact that around one billion of the world population lived below a dollar a day. At the same time, nearly eight hundred million people could not afford meals every day (Kanel, 2004. However, since formulation of the millennium development goals, there has been an increase in the fight towards eradicating poverty especially in developing countries such as in Africa. For instance, governments have provided incentives such as grants to youths to help them start businesses and empower themselves (Lozano, Wang, Foreman, Rajaratnam, Naghavi, M., Marcus & Murray, 2011). There is also a depart or shift from the reliance or rain fed agriculture implying that people do not have to rely on nature to eat, especially when nature defy conventions. For instance, African governments have invested heavily in irrigation plans which make agriculture and harvesting more reliable thus food is increased. Governments have since scored well in trying to cover this end by providing enabling environment where small and medium enterprises could exist and beat poverty or reduce it drastically (Sachs & McArthur, 2005). Secondly, there was a plan to “achieve universal primary education,” this was an aim to target al children in the society to have proper foundations in terms of education. The initial target and objective was to cover the deficit and gap created by over one hundred and thirty three million people who cannot read or write-illiterates (Modi, McDade, Lallement & Saghir, 2005). Most countries in the world especially the emerging democracies have introduced plans to have free basic compulsory primary education. This education is provided for free and it is mandatory such that no parent or guardian would have any reason of not taking their child to school (Modi, McDade, Lallement & Saghir, 2005). To this extent, it has been a success since free basic education has taken effect in most countries in the world, where government subsidize the cost of education. Thirdly, there is the objective and demand to “promote gender equality and empower women.” Historically, the human culture is skewed towards diminishing the place and position of women in the society. Women were less educated and held less political seats in key legislative houses such as parliaments (Haines & Cassels, 2004, p. 394). Thus, there have attempts to increase the gender parity to reasonable standards and levels. In most societies in the world, countries have introduced affirmative actions and designated key political spaces and positions for women in the legislative houses such as parliament and senate (Haines & Cassels, 2004, p. 394). This move and measure is usually aimed at increasing the number of women in such positions and places. Over the world, there has been increase in the number of women positions and spaces such as presidents in the world who are females. For instance, most countries in the world have women presidents an all-time high figure (Attaran, 2005). Another objective and goal was to “reduce child mortality rate by two thirds for children under the age of five.” This was due to preventable diseases such as polio and measles especially when there were no vaccines to these diseases. This is the reason as to close to nine million children died and suffered at the hands of the preventable diseases (Alston, 2005). The millennium Development Goal has since helped the world to introduce compulsory vaccination to cover the preventable diseases such as polio and measles (Bhutta, Lassi, Pariyo & Huicho, 2010). The vaccines have thus covered and helped the world to reduce the number of such death considerably since such diseases are covered or vaccinated against early enough. The fifth goal and aim was to “improve maternal health,” due to the fact that most women lost their lives due to complications such as still birth. This is due to the fact most of the births by the women were done at home or in places without properly trained medical doctors(Saith, 2006)). In some instances such maternities did not have proper equipment or facilities to help the women give birth properly. The Millennium Development Goals stipulates that the society and the world as a whole ought to device ways to curb maternal deaths (Attaran, 2005). It is worth to record and note that the world especially in Africa and other developing countries have put in place efforts to curb maternal deaths. There are free maternity clinics all over the world and ambulance to help expectant mothers to give birth with ease for free (Saith, 2006). The sixth goal and objective was to “combat HIV and AIDs, malaria and other diseases,” the world has known and recorded that there are terminal ailments which present challenges to the globe as a whole. They are called pandemics because they are chronic and cost the society a lot of resource to either cure or manage. Since the inception and inculcation of the HIV, AIDs and other pandemics, there have efforts and endeavors to fight the diseases. There are educational programs to raise awareness on measures of avoiding the HIV AIDs pandemic (Haines, Pang, Bhutta, Hyder & Evans, 2004). Schools, and colleges have also integrated programs to educate on the concept of HIV and AIDs, and ways of dealing with malaria such as mosquito nets (Wagstaff, 2004). As a result, the trajectory and number of infections have reduced such as reduced deaths of malaria. There is also the notion of “ensure environmental sustainability,” such as improving safe water, proper sanitation and improve the lives of slum dwellers. Similarly, there have attempt to introduce alternative sources of power such as solar, to ensure little damage is directed to the environment (Uplekar, Munoz, Floyd, Getahun & Jaramillo, 2006). In the recent past, programs by the UN habitat have rolled out in countries and most slums such as Soweto in South Africa, Rio De Jeneiro in Brazil and Kibera in Kenya to improve quality of life and cleanliness of drinking water (Saith, 2006). Lastly, it is an objective to forge a global partnership and alliance of development where partners meet to share ideas on the common good of the world. Evidence is clear that since the formation of the Millennium Development Goals, there has been global partnership and vigilance on issues of global concern, if there is a pandemic, massacre or earthquake in one part of the world, in the shortest time available, there would be global response to the situation (Alston, 2005). It also refers to the situation where the developed countries would be required to provide an enabling environment, create and enhance capacities for development for the developing countries. For instance, programs such as USAID, UKAID are usually directed towards meeting the last objective and goal of Millennium Development Goal (Haines & Cassels, A. (2004). Conclusion The above essay has articulated and pointed to the direction that the millennium development goals have been a success in trying to improve the quality of life of global citizens. Attempts and programs have been put in place to improve education, reduce maternal and child mortality rate (Wagstaff, 2004). Similarly, there has been an increase in the global partnership and participation such as increased funding by USAID and UKAID. It is important to note and mention that there has been a considerable reduction of poverty levels by people and a corresponding increase in welfare or quality of life (Uplekar, Figueroa-Munoz, Floyd, Getahun & Jaramillo, 2006). The world has also articulated and forged attempts to ensure there more environmental sustainability and change. In principle, all these tangible stages and steps have been effected due to the drafting, formulation and effecting the MDGs. References Attaran, A. (2005). An immeasurable crisis? 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