At the U.N. Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders agreed to address extreme poverty and the challenges of development worldwide by 2015. By 2001, the effort had been refined to eight broad Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are a consolidation of development objectives that government leaders endorsed at international conferences and summits throughout the 1990s.

• They are based on partnership between developed and developing countries.
• Each goal is associated with specific targets that can be measured with particular named indicators. These are limited and well-defined so as to focus national and international priority-setting and enable effective monitoring of progress.

For Facts at a Glance for the health and gender-related MDGs, click on the links below.

• Improve maternal health
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Combat HIV and AIDS
• Achieve universal primary education