Dr Levi Hou and Dr James Auto say that goal four of the international development wish-list, reducing child mortality - will take longer to achieve.

So will goal five - improving maternal health.

The doctors sounded the warning at a maternal health workshop in Honiara.

Dr Hou, who is the chief consultant obstetrician gynaecologist at the National Referral Hospital, says the development goals require parties to cut their infant death rate by half by 2015, which he says would be a challenge.

Meanwhile, Dr James Auto, chief consultant to the pediatrics department and the hospital's supervising chief executive, says the goals are only instructions made by wealthier nations.

He says developing nations such as Solomon Islands will only fulfill these commitments once they get substantial help.

Research has shown that costs of MDGs achievement could reach 10-13 percent of a country's GDP by 2015. For a developing country such as the Solomon Islands sources of financing will matter greatly.

In a recent interview Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed confidence that the MDGs are achievable as set out and agreed by world leaders in 2000. For that to
be possible, he said, "we must really galvanize political will and mobilize necessary
resources and I count on the leadership of developed countries."