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Assessing Progress in Africa Toward the Millennium Development Goals

Regional MDG Report | Country MDG Reports

Regional MDG Report

Mandated by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, the United Nations Development Programme, the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have jointly produced this annual re- port on Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals.

The findings of the 2012 report confirm that steady economic growth and improvements in poverty reduction on the continent continue to have a positive impact on MDG progress. Africa has sustained progress toward several MDGs and is on track to achieve the targets of: universal primary education; gender parity at all levels of education; lower HIV/AIDS prevalence among 15-24 year olds; increased proportion of the population
with access to antiretroviral drugs; and increased proportion of seats held by women in national
parliament by 2015.

 

Even so, the report acknowledges that more needs to be done to address inequalities, including between women and men. It highlights the need to address the sub-standard quality and unequal distribution of social services between rural and urban areas. It suggests active steps to ensure that economic growth translates into new and adequate employment opportunities for Africa’s youthful and rapidly growing population, and social protection systems which grow the resilience and capabilities of poor and vulnerable households. The report urges policymakers to put greater emphasis on improving the quality of social services and ensuring
that investments yield improved outcomes for the poor.

 


Country MDG Reports