As we close off another year we thought taking a quick look at some 'good news' from Base Line would be a positive place from which to spark some reflection. Unfortunately we find ourselves too often needing to place a 'but' at the end of each statement...

The year 2005 was a watershed for scaling up aid commitments and deepening debt relief to low-income countries. Click here for more data...

But will the statistics for 2006 show these commitments were met...

Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, poliovirus infections have fallen by more than 99%, and some 5 million people have escaped paralysis. Click here for more data...

But in 2004 1.7 million people died from TB...

In 1980, developing countries accounted for only 20% of the world's telephone lines; by 2005, 60% of the world's phones were in developing countries. Click here for more data...

But in Africa, where 83% of telephone subscribers use mobile phones, actual coverage is only 15% - the lowest in the world...

Globally, in 2004, 132 million students were enrolled in tertiary education, up from 68 million in 1991 - much of this growth was in the developing world. Click here for more data...

But over 100 million children are not in school and 58 million of those are girls...

We know that enabling all women to plan and space their pregnancies would decrease mortality by 20-35%. Click here for more data...

But little progress has been made to reduce death rates for mothers and newborns...

The proportion of people in the world living on less than US$1 a day fell from 27.9% in 1990 to 19.4% in 2002. Click here for more data...

But the number of people going hungry is increasing...

Spending on HIV/AIDS activities rose from US$998 million in 2000 to US$6.1 billion in 2004 and has been projected to increase to 8.3 billion in 2006. Click here for more data...

But total estimated spending needs for 2006 were US$14.9 billion...

A poll of 30 countries from around the world found that a large majority of people in all countries polled believe that climate change or global warming is a serious problem. Click here for more data...

But as the speed of global warming accelerates the process of establishing a clear global response slows...