The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has launched its third annual Goalkeepers Data Report entitled ‘Examining Inequality 2019’.
The report, which was launched on Tuesday in Seattle, the United States, featured data which indicated continued progress on health and development.
It, however, revealed that global inequality has remained a major barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals) of the United Nations.
According to the report, more than 99 per cent of communities have seen an improvement in child mortality and schooling, even in the worst-off parts of low- and low-middle-income countries.
Despite this progress, persistent gaps in opportunity mean that nearly half a billion people – about one in 15 – still do not have access to basic health and education, a statement forwarded to Channels Television noted.
The report noted that gaps between countries, districts, and boys and girls prove that the world’s investments in development were not reaching everyone.
Using new sub-national data, it uncovered the vast inequalities within countries that were masked by averages.
It also uncovered that opportunities for girls were limited by social norms, discriminatory laws and policies, as well as gender-based violence despite the progress recorded in female educational attainment.
“As we write, billions of people are projected to miss the targets that we all agreed represent a decent life,” Bill and Melinda Gates wrote in the report which they co-authored.
The duo added, “We believe that seeing where the world is succeeding will inspire leaders to do more, and seeing where the world is falling short will focus their attention.”
A System That Works
To address persistent inequality, the couple Gates called for a new approach to development, targeting the poorest people in the countries and districts that need to make up the most ground.
They also want governments to prioritise primary healthcare to deliver a health system that works for the poorest.
Bill and Melinda Gates stressed the need for digital governance to ensure that governments timely respond to their least-empowered citizens, and more support for farmers to help them adapt to climate change’s worst effects.
The duo, according to the statement, will produce a Goalkeepers Data Report every year through 2030, timing it to the annual gathering of world leaders in New York City for the UN General Assembly.
The report is designed to track progress in achieving the Global Goals, highlight examples of success, and inspire leaders around the world to accelerate their efforts.
Bill and Melinda Gates will also co-host the third annual Goalkeepers events in New York during the UN General Assembly, convening global leaders to celebrate progress in global health and development and highlight the critical importance of closing the global inequality gap to achieve the Global Goals.
