WASHINGTON, April 20, 2012 — The developing world’s progress is seriously
lagging on global targets related to food and nutrition, with rates of
child and maternal mortality still unacceptably high, says the Global
Monitoring Report (GMR) 2012, released today by the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Recent spikes in international food prices have stalled progress across
several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the report says.
GMR 2012: Food Prices, Nutrition and the Millennium Development Goals
reports good progress across some MDGs, with targets related to reducing
extreme poverty and providing access to safe drinking water already
achieved, several years ahead of the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs.
Also, targets on education and ratio of girls to boys in schools are within
reach.
In contrast, the world is significantly off-track on the MDGs to reduce
mortality rates of children under five and mothers. As a result, these
goals will not be met in any developing region by 2015. Progress is slowest
on maternal mortality, with only one-third of the targeted reduction
achieved thus far. Progress on reducing infant and child mortality is
similarly dismal, with only 50 per cent of the targeted decline achieved.