MDGs and the WHO

Tackling diseases and conditions which disproportionately affect the poor is fundamental to the World Health Organization’s work. Efforts to achieve the MDGs are a part of the WHO's core responsibilities. After consultations with all regions of the WHO in November 2004, the commitment of the organization to the MDGs was expressed to the Executive Board.  This led to a resolution approved by the 58th World Health Assembly in May 2005.

High-Level Forum (HLF) achievements:

Along with the World Bank, the WHO coordinates the High-Level Forum (HLF) on the Health MDGs , which was first held in 2003. Through the HLF, policy makers engage in dialogue to accelerate action on the health-related MDGs. During the past three meetings of the HLF, ministers and senior officials from developing countries, as well as heads of bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, and regional organizations discussed many topics.  They include: the effectiveness of aid, MDG-oriented poverty reduction/sector strategies, monitoring performance/tracking resource flows, and human resources crisis in health. These meetings cemented the understanding of the centrality of the health MDGs in the quest to achieve all of the MDGs .
The recently released 2005 Health and the Millennium Development Goals Report, states, “…building-up and strengthening health systems is vital if more progress is to be made towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Unless urgent investments are made in health systems, current rates of progress will not be sufficient to meet most of the Goals.”