Sustainable Development Goals By The UN: Discussing The Health Goals For 2030

In 2015, the United Nations set some sustainable development goals or global goals that are aimed at diminishing poverty, protecting the planet, and working towards a healthier community. The 191 members of the United Nations have agreed to achieve these SDG Goals by 2030. 

There are a total of 17 goals out of which the UN SDG 3 is focused on health. While there are many goals with some underlying benefits for health and wellness, the mission statement of the third SDG health goal is “Good health and well-being”. 

Understanding UN Sustainable Development Goals

These sustainable development goals help in strengthening institutions and governance practices. They matter because they provide a holistic solution to improving the condition and standard of living by: 

1. Taking into account the reality in different countries based on their level of development and existing priorities and policies. These sustainable goals are collective and provide countries with the necessary support to create their own pathways to achieve the national targets. 
2. Focusing on the environmental, social, and economic factors that determine the level of development of any country. 
3. Ensuring that inequality is eliminated at all levels. These inequalities are not just the result of the economic condition of any country. The goal is to achieve the basic level of services and access to essentials, improve the redistribution of resources and provide new approaches to build the capacity of every stratum of the society to sustain this development. 
4. Driving innovation that can help countries move forward faster. Accelerating technological innovation and transferring knowledge is one of the primary concerns of these UN sustainable development goals. 

What are the Sustainable Development Goals for Health? 

The UN SDG 3 lists out a set of goals for 2030 which will help the world get closer to creating equal opportunities for overall health and well-being. There are 13 SDG 3 targets as mentioned below: 

1. Reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio

One of the sustainable goals by the year 2030 is to reduce the mortality rate during childbirth to 70 per 100000 live births. 

2. Put an End to the Death of Children Under the Age of 5

The 2030 agenda for sustainable development involves eradication of several health issues that affect newborns and children below the age of 5 years. Many of these issues can be resolved by taking preventive measures like better health and nutrition. By 2030, the UN SDG aims to reduce the rate of neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1000 live births. In case of children under 5, the aim is to reduce the rate of mortality to 25 per 1000 live births. 

3. End Epidemics

By 2030, the SDG 3 aims to end epidemics like AIDS, Malaria, and tuberculosis and find better ways to combat hepatitis, water borne diseases and all communicable diseases. Sustainable development goals on health are going to be a major benefactor of the extermination of these diseases.

4. Reduce the Rate of Premature Mortality

One of the sustainable development goals that aims towards improving the preventive measures and treatment of non-communicable diseases. It also includes promoting mental well-being to reduce premature mortality by one third.

5. Substance Abuse

It talks about strengthening the measures taken to prevent and treat substance abuse. This includes any harmful alcohol use and narcotic drug abuse.

6. Road Accidents

This target is centred around reducing the number of deaths and injuries from road accidents by 50% across the globe.

7. Better Access to Reproductive and Sexual Healthcare

By 2030, the UN is aiming to ensure that healthcare services for sexual and reproductive health are improved. This includes providing better access to resources for information and education, family planning, and integration into national programs and strategies.

8. Health Coverage

The sustainable development goals 2030 encourage us to make health coverage universal. It also includes access to better healthcare services; financial risk coverage; and safe, high-quality, and affordable medication & vaccines at affordable cost for all.

9. Reduce Risk from Contamination

By 2030, the SDG 3 aims to reduce the number of illnesses and deaths caused by hazardous chemicals and contamination of air, soil, and water.

10. Tobacco Control

This is one of the sustainable development goals about improving the integration of the World Health Organisation’s Framework for Tobacco Control in as many countries as possible.

11. Research and Development

This one emphasises on providing better support for the research and development of medicines and vaccines for non-communicable and communicable diseases. The focus of this target is to tackle issues that affect developing countries primarily. The goal is to provide better access to affordable vaccines and medicines as per the Doha Declaration in the TRIPS Agreement. Ensure flexibility in the protection of public health with a special focus on improving access to medication for all.

12. Better Health Financing

According to the sustainable development goals 2030, it is crucial to increase healthcare-related financing, development, recruitment, training, and retention of the workforce. This SDG target is also aimed at improving resources in less developed countries and developing countries.

13. Risk Management

This target puts emphasis on providing necessary support to improve the capacity of countries, especially the developing ones for early earning, risk management, and reduction of national or global health issues.

Achieving SDG Health Targets Personally

The sustainable development goals of the United Nations also call for individual participation to ensure that the targets can be achieved by 2030. They have created Good Life Goals for each one of us to practice. The personal goals for the SDG health targets are as follows:

1. Learn and share about different ways to stay healthy.
2. Pay attention to mental health.
3. Exercise regularly and wash your hands frequently.
4. Demand equal access to vaccinations and medical care for all.
5. Stay safe when you are near or on the road.

Conclusion 

Promoting health and well-being for all ages is vital for sustainable development. Unfortunately, the world is facing a global pandemic that has destabilised all the efforts towards sustainable development goals. The pandemic has also shown us how important it is for all countries to be prepared for a health-related crisis.

Before the pandemic, however, many countries had made immense progress. Life expectancy was improved by eliminating common issues like maternal and child mortality. Today, we need to strengthen these efforts to fully eradicate the pandemic and other persistent health issues. The first step to achieve sustainable development goals is to follow the Good Life Goals and accelerate the change from an individual standpoint.