Fifteen years after the International Conference on Population and Development: What have we achieved and how do we move forward?

This article surveys the current situation and prospects for attaining the goals set by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in 1994, and the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), set in 2000. Encouraging changes in the policy environment are highlighted, but the available resources do not yet match needs. Global maternal mortality figures, at over 500,000 a year, have not changed since 1990, and morbidity is about 20 million. Some countries have made progress with low-cost, high-yield interventions such as family planning, skilled birth attendants, access to emergency obstetric and neonatal care, management of sexually transmitted infections, and HIV prevention. However, progress in many low-income countries has been slow, and few are on track to meet the goals. There are wide inequities in care among and within countries. Suggestions for priority attention are offered, such as a "continuum of care" approach, integrated services, and comprehensive policies on human resources for health.