Millennium Development Goals
Updated September 2011
Child and maternal goals: MDGs 4 and 5
Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were agreed by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in 2000 aiming to reduce world poverty and increase the rate of development.
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) is devoted to accelerate progress towards MDGs 4 and 5: Child and newborn mortality (MDG 4) which is closely linked to maternal health (MDG 5).
MDG 4: The fourth MDG is to reduce the 1990 mortality rate among under-five children by two thirds
Target 4 A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate
- Indicator 4.1 Under-five mortality rate
- Indicator 4.2 Infant mortality rate
- Indicateur 4.3 Proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measles
Goal 5: to improve maternal health by 2015
Target 5 A: Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
- Indicator 5.1 Maternal mortality ratio
- Indicator 5.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel
- Indicator 5.3 Contraceptive prevalence rate
- Indicator 5.4 Adolescent birth rate
- Indicator 5.5 Antenatal care coverage (at least one visit and at least four visits)
- Indicator 5.6 Unmet need for family planning
Since more than one third of all child deaths occur within the first month of life, providing skilled care to mothers during pregnancy, as well as during and after birth, greatly contributes to child survival. As such, providing a “continuum of care” from pre-pregnancy, birth, and post-natal and early childhood care through the first five years of year are a key component of saving maternal, newborn and child lives, which is a key principle of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health.
Countdown to 2015 – Tracking Progress in Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival
The Countdown to 2015 Initiative collects and analyses data from 68 countries that account for at least 95 % of maternal and child deaths, working to create an account of progress towards the achievement of MDGs 4 and 5. The Countdown Initiative has released Reports in 2005, 2008 and 2010 and produces country profiles that present coverage data for a range of key health services including:
- Contraceptive use
- Antenatal care
- Skilled attendance at delivery
- Postnatal care
- Child health
- Financial investments in MNCH
- Equity of access, health systems and policy