UN SDG 3: Good health and well-being
“Over the last 15 years, the number of childhood deaths has been cut in half. This proves that it is possible to win the fight against almost every disease. Still, we are spending an astonishing amount of money and resources on treating illnesses that are surprisingly easy to prevent. The new goal for worldwide Good Health promotes healthy lifestyles, preventive measures and modern, efficient healthcare for everyone.”
Source: https://www.globalgoals.org/3-good-health-and-well-being
We have learnt after the COVID-19 pandemic the ways in which good health and well-being are linked. Taking a proactive approach to health and illness means making lifestyle choices that support lifelong health and accessing appropriate healthcare in a timely manner while responding to illness.
The targets under this goal include reducing maternal mortality, fighting communicable diseases, reducing mortality from non-communicable diseases, providing access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning resources and more.
NGOs have found that interventions in health provide multiple improvements in well-being. Timely access to healthcare can improve life outcomes and improve quality of life for individuals and families. Charutar Arogya Mandal in Gujarat runs a hospital with one wing offering free treatment to women and children and concessional treatment to men from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Initiatives like this encourage people to seek professional health for their ailments before they reach an acute stage. They receive a daily average of 1,200 patients for outdoor consultation. Committed Communities Development Trust has a Home Based Care program and Residential Care Program for families and children coping with HIV/AIDS. The program was designed to prevent families from falling apart after receiving an HIV+ diagnosis. The program provides people with treatment, legal aid, mental support and other resources to live a full and dignified life even after the diagnosis.
Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) in Mumbai takes a multi-generational approach to improve health and wellness. They work with maternal and newborn health, as the health of a mother impacts her own recovery and ability to care for a newborn. The program strengthens women’s access to community health volunteers and enables them to access birthing places in time. They work with the government’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to target child health and nutrition in children under 3. They’ve designed Ehsas, a program that works with adolescents on issues of physical, mental, sexual health and child sex abuse so adolescents can make informed decisions. They found that pregnant women opting for antenatal care increased by 10% in 2018, while 4910 adolescents were screened for common but often undetected conditions related to physical and mental health. Cuddles Foundation found that adding healthy foods to the diets of children with cancer helped them tolerate treatment and experience reduced side effects. They provide nutritionist-designed meals for children whose families cannot afford the cost of treatment and food.
A large part of good health and well being is in our hands!
PS: You can read our blogs on the other UN Sustainable Development Goals here.
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