Nutrition And the Millennium Development Goals A Kenyan Perspective on the Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Poverty and food insecurity are the twin challenges of the 21st century, alongside issues such as HIV/ AIDS, conflicts, and natural disasters. Although many countries have had different strategies to tackle these challenges, the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide a united front where eight universal goals must be achieved by the year 2015. The first part of this paper focuses on the MDGs, what they mean for developing countries and progress in achieving them. The paper goes on to discuss why some countries have made progress, especially in alleviating poverty, and why others have not. The second and third parts of the paper address Kenya’s progress in achieving the MDGs, policy implications since independence and achievements since the country endorsed the Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit in September 2000. The fourth part provides policy recommendations which Kenya should make a priority to alleviate extreme poverty and hunger and most importantly, towards improved nutrition as a key development input. What the Millennium Development Goals mean for developing countries