Last month saw a number of important developments in the run-up to the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the preparations for a broader set of follow-up goals.

Rural areas in Africa are characterised by limited infrastructure.  This means that there are often no landlines, cellphone signals are not always present, water may be obtained from rivers, wells or standpipes and electricity may also not be present. Sanitation is likely to be basic, consisting of ventilated pit latrines. Equally roads are very unlikely to be tarred, at best there will be gravel paths, in many cases there are simply uneven tracks.