Hans Rosling: Why I like the UN’s 8 MDGs
Why one likes the eight Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) isn’t necessarily a conversation starter. But for Hans Rosling, it is. Of these eight international development targets set forth by the United Nations, there’s a reason why Rosling likes them: each is measured! That’s what makes the difference between political talking and this work, he says. His happiness for the many countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, among others, who are reducing these rates, is infectious.
But, there’s a problem, Rosling reminds us. And it has to do with the ways we interpret progress (or lack of), for continents like Africa. This great news is almost always overshadowed by the tendency to view Africa as one continent, rather than recognizing the distinct differences and strides each country has made to addressing the MDGs.
But I hear people say “there’s no progress in Africa.” I’m proving them wrong!
As Rosling lead us through the wonderful world of statistics (some would disagree on the level of wonderfulness), he reminds us that we have to be critical of data: where it comes from, how it’s analyzed, who is analyzing it and through what sets of lenses. Making an average of these improvements, especially in the case of sub-saharan Africa, is not a fair representation of the work being done to achieve the United Nation’s MDGs.
Time has come to stop thinking of sub Saharan Africa as one place. They should be recognized as distinct contries—we don’t do that to Europe.
Lowering child mortality, Rosling says, is of utter most importance. It’s a strategic investment of all mankind.
-Sophia Agtarap | @sophiakristina
