The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be achieved more quickly if the international community invests primarily in children and disadvantaged communities, a UN study said Tuesday. The study conducted by the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) said: 'The global community can save millions of lives by investing primarily in children and disadvantaged communities.' It added that such an approach can also reduce the disparities that are monitoring progress toward achieving the MDGs. Consultants who helped UNICEF conduct the study described the main findings as 'surprising and significant.' 'Our findings challenge the traditional thinking whereby focusing on the poorest and most disadvantaged children is not cost efficient,' said Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF. 'Any strategy focused on equity will permit not only a moral victory -- correct in principle -- but also a relevant intervention -- correct in practice.' Lake said, 'We believe that the findings of this study can be a real world in thought, in investments in the MDGs, and in relation to human development in general -- helping us to improve the lives of thousands of vulnerable children.' According to the study, poor health and illiteracy that are concentrated among the poorest children to benefit children with these essential services can greatly accelerate progress toward the MDGs and reduced disparities between nations. The study also showed that girls and youth in developing countries remain considerable handicaps of access, particularly at secondary level, although marked achievements have been made in gender equality in primary education in recent decades. The study said of the 884 million people without access to adequate water resources for drinking, 94 percent of whom are living in rural areas. The UNICEF study indicated that children of the 20 percent poorest households of developing countries are twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday than 20 percent of children from households in industrialized countries. The results of the study 'has made me think that the focus on equity can be a persuasive tool and also a value basis,' said Lawrence Haddad, director of the renowned Institute for Development Studies, who reviewed the preliminary study model. 