UNICEF’s flagship report 'Progress for Children no. 9: Achieving the MDGs with Equity' presents new data revealing that while considerable progress has been made in reducing child mortality and other critical development objectives, gaps between the poorest and the richest households remain wide and in some cases have grown.
The study also showed that national burdens of disease, ill health and illiteracy are concentrated in the most impoverished child populations. Providing these children with essential services could greatly accelerate progress towards the MDGs.
'Narrowing the Gaps to Meet the Goals' defines an equity-based approach to children's health and development – focusing on extending services to the most marginalised children – and compares it to the current mainstream strategies for achieving the health-related MDGs for children.
