Limitations of the Millennium Development Goals: a literature review

Abstract

With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) showing uneven progress, this review identifies possible limitations arising from the MDG framework itself rather than extrinsic issues. A multidisciplinary literature review was conducted with a focus on limitations in the formulation of the MDGs, their structure, content and implementation. Of 1837 MDG-related articles, 90 met criteria for analysis. Articles describe MDGs as being created by only a few stakeholders without adequate involvement by developing countries and overlooking development objectives previously agreed upon. Others claim MDGs are unachievable and simplistic, not adapted to national needs, do not specify accountable parties and reinforce vertical interventions. While MDGs have promoted increased health and well-being in many countries by recognising and deliberating on the possible constraints of the MDG framework, the post-2015 agenda may have even greater impact.Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers (Henry Louis Mencken)

Assessing levels and trends of child health inequality in 88 developing countries: from 2000 to 2014

“…Though analyzing determinants of inequality is beyond the scope of this study, we speculate that measuring the progress of reaching MDGs by focusing on national means could lead to less policy attention paid to inequalities [36]. A 2010 UNICEF report found that progress measured by national aggregates often conceals large and widening disparities in child health—despite apparent statistical success in reducing under-five mortality, inequalities between the poorest and the richest households grew by more than 10% [37].…”

Tools and approaches to operationalize the commitment to equity, gender and human rights: towards leaving no one behind in the Sustainable Development Goals

“…In the years leading up to the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) there was increasing awareness that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) insufficiently addressed equality and the reduction of inequalities [1], focused on and sought aggregated information (which some called the tyranny of national averages [2]), did not address within-country inequalities [3] and had a weak human rights approach [4]. This was noted in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2010 resolution that reviewed progress towards achieving the MDGs outcomes [5] and the UNGA 2015 resolution that established the goals of the SDGs-related targets [6].…”

Tackling youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa: Is there a role for artisanal and small-scale mining?

“…But despite initially garnering much praise, the MGDs began to attract a flood of criticisms. Fehling et al [45] summarize these quite succinctly:…”

“…The first concerns the stability participation in ASM has provided, over the short-to medium-term, for these households. In recent years, a raft of studies [45,[47][48] have drawn attention to how scores of the region's subsistence farm households, struggling to survive in a liberalized agricultural market, have 'branched out' into ASM. For many, this move has helped to resurrect failing crops by putting them in a position to acquire crucial farm inputs such as fertilizers, which most African governments no longer subsidize.…”