Africa’s Recent MDG Performance

Africa’s progress on the MDGs is gaining momentum. The continent continues to make steady progress on most of the goals. And even though it is unlikely to achieve all the targets by 2015, the rate of progress on several indicators – including primary school enrolment, gender parity in primary school enrolment, the proportion of seats held by women in national parliament, HIV/AIDS prevalence rates and the share of women in non-agricultural wage employment – is accelerating. Indeed, in some cases Africa exceeds regions such as Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Asia. This is both remarkable and commendable, though complacency must not replace action.

Accelerating progress to achieve the MDGs will require an integrated approach that takes into account the inter-linkages among goals and indicators. Yet it is not enough to reach the MDGs – progress must be kept up after that to make a difference to the lives of ordinary people. That momentum will require policymakers to ensure equal access to basic social services without compromising the quality of such services.

Sustainability also hinges on the capacity of African countries to continue providing critical services such as ART and other essential drugs, even without vertical funds. Ultimately, African countries will have to transform their economies in ways that not only support rapid and inclusive growth, but also generate enough domestic resources to offset shortfalls in external financing.