On January 17th Jeffrey Sachs issued his practical plan for how to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals, a set of targets for 2015, including halving the number of people in extreme poverty and hunger, introducing universal primary education and reversing the spread of AIDS and malaria.

The Economist summarises Sachs's approach:-

To realise the goals, he calculates, rich countries must dedicate about 0.5% of their combined GDP to aid (0.44% in 2006, rising to 0.54% in 2015). This is about twice what they currently offer, but less than the 0.7% of GDP they long ago promised to set aside for development. Redeeming that dusty pledge, the report argues, should be a minimum requirement for any rich country, such as Germany or Japan, that aspires to a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
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Mr Sachs applauds a new generation of more pragmatic, responsible African governments, ready to put extra resources to good use. He wants rich countries to pick at least a dozen winners to receive a massive infusion of extra aid this year—including perhaps Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique.

Sub-Saharan Africa, his report argues, is caught in a “poverty trap”. Markets are too small, transport costs too high and farm yields too low. Disease spreads quickly, technology only slowly. Africa cannot lift itself out of this trap. To escape, it needs a “big push”: large, co-ordinated investments in infrastructure, health, agricultural productivity and education.

Mr Sachs can also think small, however. The report advocates a series of relatively simple, inexpensive interventions that place a low burden on state machinery but yield high returns. Among these “quick wins”, he suggests eliminating school fees, including fees for school uniforms, and providing free school meals. Poor African farmers should be given affordable ways to replenish soil nitrogen, he says. Mosquito nets, treated with insecticides, should be given free to children wherever malaria is endemic.

The timing of the issue of this report could not be better. If any good has come from the Asian tsunami, it is the demonstration that the developed world can muster incredible efforts and funds to help those in the Third World when the circumstances are right.

Gordon Brown recognises the key position he is in this year, with the UK chairing the G8 and the EU, and is clearly adamant on using his influence to introduce his Marshall Plan of aid for the Third World.

This conjunction of global popular support, political will, along with agreed goals and practical plans for their achievement creates the best opportunity the world has ever had to address this issue with the priority it deserves. Failure is no longer an option.