In the last few years, though, for the first time, all countries in the region have emocratically elected their governments.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The region's performance on meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has been
mixed. Looking beyond consumption and poverty, the region has had encouraging success in some areas: for instance, infant mortality rates have dropped from about 120 in 1980 to 58 in 2008. However, challenges remain in key areas such as child malnutrition, maternal mortality, and gender balance in education and health outcomes.
The resurgence of tuberculosis and the threat of HIV/AIDS are also cause for concern.Mixed progress on the MDGs is also grounded in health systems' failure to adjust to people’s changing needs. Population aging is associated with a rapid increase in health problems such as heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, and obesity, putting new pressure on health systems.
Total expenditure levels on health as a share of GDP or per capita remain the lowest among lower- and middle-income regions. Close to three-fourths of this spending is from private sources (mostly out of pocket) suggesting financial vulnerability among the poor.
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