Publications

Guatemala: Achieving the MDGs

Health Policy Initiative
7/1/2009
English
Full Document (pdf 427.2 kb)

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—a set of eight important, timebound goals ranging from reducing poverty by half to providing universal primary education—represent a blueprint for global development agreed to by member states of the United Nations and international development institutions. However, achieving them will be a major challenge for Guatemala and many other developing countries that are not "on track" to meet the goals by the target date of 2015.

In Guatemala and other Latin American countries, one major factor contributing to the challenge is the continued rapid growth of the population. The number of people in need of health, education, economic, and other services is large and increasing, which, in turn, means that the amount of resources, personnel, and infrastructure required to meet the MDGs is also increasing. In light of this fact, development efforts in support of the MDGs should not overlook the importance and benefits of slowing population growth.

This brief looks at how one strategy-meeting the need for family planning-can reduce population growth and make achieving the MDGs more affordable in Guatemala, in addition to directly contributing to the goals of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

Last Updated 12/9/09

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