The Pacific Island countries are home to some 2 million people of whom just over 900,000 are children under 18 years of age (UNICEF, 2007).
In this paper, I briefly review the progress Pacific Island countries have made toward their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a particular focus on Goal 4 (reduce child mortality) and Goal 5 (improve
maternal health). I then highlight some of the support being provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with many agencies across the region to assist countries to advance their child- related MDGs. Finally, I consider some of the challenges to sustaining MDG progress for children in Pacific Island countries, especially the current global economic crisis.