africa/global: Hitting the mark: can under five mortality be cut by two thirds?

In 2000, the nations of the world pledged to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. These ambitious targets included a commitment over the period 1990 to 2015 to: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (50% reduction in the numbers of people living on less than US$1/day); Reduce under five mortality rate by two thirds; and Reduce maternal mortality rates by 75%. As the World Bank estimates and projections for progress show, the goals for reduction in child mortality will be achieved in only a few countries.