The cost of putting the world to right on poverty, health and education is enormous but just a drop in the financial ocean, according to many aid groups.

Oxfam estimates that in 2005, it would have cost $151 billion to end all extreme poverty in the world, a figure it says barely exceeds the $131 billion spent worldwide on candy the same year.

It is “about the same as it cost to treat obesity-related diseases in the US in 2008,” the group added.

“Oxfam’s argument is it wouldn’t take moving mountains to achieve the MDGs.” Some sacrifices would have to be made though.

Save The Children estimates that four million child deaths could have been prevented over 10 years if countries had made the same effort to help poor children as those who grew up in wealthier households.

In a report released last week, Save The Children said too many developing nations were “tackling the low hanging fruit” – giving more aid so that children from better-off communities are saved, while those from disadvantaged backgrounds are not.

The world has done better in moving toward universal primary education, with some surprising achievers.

Oxfam called Nepal “a striking success story” on child health and education, despite a major civil war that only ended in 2006.