title: Poverty and development: pulling forces and the challenges for nursing in Africa.
abstract: In September 2000 the United Nations Millennium Declaration was adopted and endorsed by 189 countries, translating into eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be reached by 2015. At the midpoint between the MDG adoption in 2000 and the 2015 target date for achieving the goals, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is not on track to achieve their MDGs. Poverty and development are pulling forces and impact on the ability to achieve the MDGs in SSA, thus the main purpose of this article is to participate in the debate concerning the global theme of poverty and development and the challenges for the nursing profession. In this article the concepts of poverty and development are explored, and the existing trends with specific reference to SSA are investigated. An evaluation of the present status of SSA in reaching the MDG's is examined and the article concludes with a discussion of the challenges for nursing in Africa.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing Science, North-West University, Private Bag X 6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa. Hester.Klopper@nwu.ac.za
authors.forename: Hester C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Klopper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D002648:Child; D046688:Child Mortality; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015399:Nursing Research; D011203:Poverty / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D012922:Social Change; D013217:Starvation; D014480:United Nations