This report highlights the plight of children and women around the globe in humanitarian emergencies, such as conflict situations and natural disasters. The report outlines UNICEF

The State of the World

This report details global progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for drinking water and sanitation, and what these trends suggest for the remainder of the Water for Life Decade 2005-2015. In recognition of the large sanitation deficit, and the declaration of 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation, the report has a special focus on sanitation. It opens with a review of the current status of sanitation and an assessment of progress towards the sanitation target included in the MDGs.

The State of the World’s Children 2008 assesses the state of child survival and primary health care for mothers, newborns and children today. These issues serve as sensitive barometers of a country’s development and wellbeing and as evidence of its priorities and values. Investing in the health of children and their mothers is a human rights imperative and one of the surest ways for a country to set its course towards a better future.