Combating extreme poverty and disease

More than 24,000 children under the age of 5 die every day due to preventable poverty, disease, and hunger. But we can say “no more.”

Targets for combating poverty: The Millennium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of measurable targets for combating global challenges such as poverty, hunger, and disease. Established at the 2000 UN Millennium Summit, they range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV and AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015.

Though all of the MDGs are crucial, as a child-focused organization, World Vision takes special interest in the pursuit of meeting goals 1, 4, 5, and 6.

• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
• Goal 5: Improve maternal health
• Goal 6: Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

Reaching these goals will require a concerted effort on the part of all developed and developing countries.

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What we are asking Congress to do

Here in the United States, the International Affairs Budget provides critical, life-saving assistance to combat extreme poverty, hunger, child mortality, and diseases like AIDS and malaria. It makes up just 1.4 percent of the total federal budget.

The president sends his budget request to Congress each year. This year, the request from the president includes increased funding to address global hunger and child and maternal health. The request also includes slight increases in funding for AIDS and malaria.

We are asking Congress to support the president's FY 2011 budget request. There are few places in the U.S. federal budget where dollars translate so directly into lives saved.

Contact your members of Congress today. Ask them to support the president's FY 2011 budget request for the International Affairs Budget.

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What we are asking the G8 to do

At the 2005 G8 Summit — the annual meeting of leaders from the world's wealthiest countries — the G8 made a historic commitment to fight extreme global poverty and disease. World Vision, the ONE Campaign, and several other organizations played a pivotal role in prompting the G8 to make this unprecedented pledge.

Now we are advocating for the G8 to keep the promises they made in 2005 to fight global poverty and AIDS, and do their fair share to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

At the 2005 meeting the G8 leaders committed to:

• Cancel the debts owed by 35 of the world’s poorest countries to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and African Development Fund.
• Increase aid to poor countries by $50 billion by 2010, with half of the aid targeting Africa.
• Increase humanitarian aid and support to peacekeeping and arms control.
• Help create a world trade deal that favors poor nations.
• Ensure universal access to AIDS prevention, treatment, and care by 2010.

If the G8 countries keep the financial commitments that they have already made, millions of lives will be saved. They are currently not on track to meet their goals.

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Successes

There have been some noteworthy advancements toward meeting the goals set at the 2005 meeting.

President Bush made significant commitments on behalf of the United States to address global poverty and disease. In 2003, through the Global AIDS, TB and Malaria Bill, Congress funded the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest international health initiative dedicated to a specific disease now representing a commitment of approximately $6 billion per year for AIDS prevention, treatment, and care.

At the 2009 summit, the G8 committed to a food security initiative promising $20 billion over three years to tackle global hunger. The Obama administration pledged $3.5 billion in U.S. aid for food security. This initiative is a bold move toward a more holistic approach to ending global hunger, if these countries match their promises with action.

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Learn more

• Learn more about the Millennium Development Goals.
• Download the report, "Last Chance: Child Health and the Millennium Development Goals" (PDF).

Three things you can do

• Pray that our legislators would make wise decisions that help bring relief to those suffering from extreme poverty and disease.
• Send a message to your members of Congress. Ask them protect the International Affairs Budget. There are few places in the U.S. federal budget where dollars translate so directly into lives saved.
• Donate. Join World Vision in the fight against extreme global poverty and disease. Give a gift to provide life-saving food, water, medical care, and more to children and families.

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