The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000. The goals were a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions, with the aim of meeting the needs of the world’s poorest. The MDGs were derived from the United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed in September 2000, which committed world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women). The eight goals with 21 targets and a series of measurable health and economic indicators for each target are:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

The MDGs were superseded by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, which are a set of 17 goals with 169 targets to be achieved by 2030). The SDGs build on the progress made by the MDGs and aim to address the root causes of poverty and inequality, while also promoting sustainable development.