• Each year almost 11 million children under the age of five die, most from preventable causes – that’s one every three seconds.
  MDG 4: While progress has been made in every region, reaching the goal of reducing infant mortality by 2/3 seems unlikely. Sub-Saharan Africa, due to civil conflict and the AIDS pandemic, is the most worrisome. With only 20% of the world’s children, it accounts for half of the total infant deaths.

  • In sub-Saharan Africa, women have a one in 16 chance of dying in childbirth. In Europe, this number is one in 2,000 and in North America it's one in 3,500.
  MDG 5: While progress is being made, the rate of maternal mortality has changed little in the regions where it is most severe, sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

  • Today, someone living in Zambia has less chance of reaching the age of 30 than someone born in England in 1840 – and the gap is widening. HIV/AIDS is at the heart of this massive reversal in life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa.

  • With just over 10% of the world’s population, sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 60% of the HIV-positive people and to 90% of children (under 15) living with the virus.
  MDG 6: Globally, HIV infection rates continue to rise, despite the fact that several countries report success in reducing HIV infection rates.

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