There is no doubt that progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been hampered by the perfect storm of difficulties that has hit the African continent: the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures, climate change, the war in Ukraine and constrained donor support.

Yet it is vital that financing for investment and measures that support the attainment of the SDGs continue if the aims are not to fade from view.

The pandemic had a negative effect on living standards, driving up both unemployment and underemployment, as well as increasing poverty. Average economic growth among the least developed countries of 2.5% over 2020–22 was a long way short of the 7% called for under SDG 8.

At the same time, the global poverty rate increased from 8.5% in 2019 to 9.3% in 2020, wiping out more than four years’ progress.

It also hit Goal 5 by widening the gender gap, with women experiencing bigger falls in employment than men, at the same time as they took on additional caring duties.