This article has been written by Ms. Aninditha Gandhe, a 2nd year student of Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad. 

This legal research paper explores the intricate interplay between global health initiatives and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. Examining progress, challenges, and collaborative efforts, the paper delves into the multifaceted relationship between global health and sustainable development on a global scale. It emphasizes the concept of SDG Interlinkages, highlighting the interconnected nature of the goals and the ripple effects actions can have across the entire system. The paper assesses progress using the SDG index across 188 countries, revealing successes and unexpected disparities. Notable advancements in specific regions and disparities among nations underscore the need for a holistic and collaborative approach. The role of technology in SDG achievement is scrutinized, providing insights into potential synergies and trade-offs. The Health Data Collaborative’s initiative to enhance data collection reflects a commitment to informed decision-making and monitoring progress. The paper concludes that a flexible, evaluative, and globally collaborative approach is essential for addressing emerging health challenges and ensuring the success of the 2030 Agenda. Overall, it sheds light on the transformative potential embedded in the intersection of global health and sustainable development, urging diligence, adaptability, and a shared vision for a healthier and more sustainable world.

Introduction

In the dynamic landscape of global health, the intersection with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has become a pivotal area of focus. The intricate interlinkages between global health initiatives and the broader sustainable development framework underscore the need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach. As nations strive to achieve the ambitious SDGs set forth by the United Nations, addressing health challenges stands as a fundamental pillar for overall progress. This interplay between health and sustainable development reflects our world’s interconnected nature and highlights the imperative to forge synergies that propel us toward a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable future. In this context, examining the progress made, the challenges encountered, and the collaborative efforts underway becomes crucial to understanding how these interlinkages shape the trajectory of global health and sustainable development endeavours. This exploration will shed light on the multifaceted nature of the relationship between global health initiatives and the pursuit of sustainable development goals on a global scale.

Global Health and Sustainable Development Goals

The realm of global health serves as a dedicated domain for in-depth examination, research endeavours, and practical applications geared toward advancing health outcomes and fostering health equity on a global scale. Global health underscores the significance of addressing health challenges that transcend national boundaries, emphasizing exploring interconnected health issues, their underlying determinants, and viable solutions. This multifaceted field draws upon a diverse array of disciplines both within and beyond the health sciences, fostering a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach. It represents a cohesive integration of population-based preventive measures with individualized clinical care, recognizing the intricate interplay between global health factors. Sustainable development has emerged as a critical discourse, particularly in the face of numerous environmental challenges confronting humanity. The term itself found recognition in the World Charter of Nature in 1982, gaining global consensus during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio in 1992. In response to the pressing issues of extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and disease, the United Nations (UN) introduced the Millennium Development Goals. Subsequently, in 2015, the international community adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), comprising 17 goals and 169 targets. Their primary emphasis revolved around poverty and human development, a concept outlined by UNDP in 1997 and influenced by the ideas of Ul Haq and Sen as “the three essential choices for people are to lead a long and healthy life, to acquire knowledge and to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living.” 

This framework of SDGs offers a comprehensive and multidimensional approach to tackling social, economic, and environmental concerns in an integrated manner between 2015 and 2030. The overarching aim is to propel societies toward a sustainable development trajectory. Achieving these goals demands profound transformations in both developing and developed nations. Assessing the progress made on regional and global scales becomes imperative to pinpoint critical development issues or potential gaps. The evaluation of milestones reached within the SDGs is crucial for identifying areas that require attention and intervention as we collectively strive to navigate the path toward sustainable development. 

The 2030 agenda acknowledges the intricate web of factors influencing good health, emphasising their interconnectedness beyond traditional disciplinary and governmental boundaries. Universal health coverage, comprising health services and financial protection, emerges as a crucial element within this holistic framework. Beyond promoting health, these components foster innovation, fuel economic growth, and generate employment opportunities. Recognising the reciprocal relationship, good health catalyses poverty reduction by enhancing individuals’ learning and working capabilities. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) act as a catalyst for societal action, encouraging collaboration to address contemporary health challenges such as ageing, non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, epidemics, health security, climate change, environmental degradation, pollution, sustainable financing, health inequities, migration, urbanisation, and rural poverty.

The 2030 agenda is not a static development roadmap; it presents a series of propositions requiring practical implementation and evaluation. It acknowledges that strategies to enhance health by modifying social, economic, and environmental determinants will undergo trial and error. In the spirit of critical assessment, a forthcoming bulletin issue will explore the SDGs’ potential not merely as a checklist of established public health goals but as a catalyst for discovering innovative and practical approaches to accelerate health improvements.

The World Health Organization (WHO) will persist in urging countries to integrate health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators. This integration will be facilitated through cost-effective, appropriate, and reasonable mechanisms aligned with current and future national health systems. The aim is to seamlessly incorporate these indicators into performance monitoring and evaluation (M&E) requirements within the health sector. The emphasis is on promoting practical and efficient methods that resonate with individual countries’ unique needs and capacities.

SDG interlinkages 

The 2030 Agenda was meticulously crafted with the understanding that its goals are not standalone objectives but intricately woven together in an integrated and indivisible manner. This deliberate design highlights the concept of SDG Interlinkages, which refers to the intricate web of connections spanning across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encompassing their respective targets and indicators.

These interlinkages exhibit a nuanced nature, ranging from positive synergies to negative impacts, and even mixed outcomes. They manifest on various scales, both geographically and temporally, producing diverse effects. It’s crucial to recognize that actions directed towards one SDG can reverberate throughout the entire system, influencing the trajectory of all other goals.

By unraveling and comprehending these interconnections, we gain valuable insights into how efforts aimed at achieving one specific SDG can have ripple effects on the entire spectrum. This understanding becomes instrumental in navigating the intricate landscape of the 2030 Agenda, ensuring that endeavors do not inadvertently lead to the deterioration of any SDGs. In essence, the exploration of SDG Interlinkages is not only about realizing the interconnectedness of these goals but also about strategically steering actions to avoid unintended consequences and fostering holistic progress. Recently, many researchers have been actively addressing the existing knowledge gap by delving into the intricate interlinkages among Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets, particularly within the policy realm across diverse nations. By scrutinizing the interlinkages of technology with SDG targets, we can gain valuable insights into the potential synergies that expedite goal achievement and the trade-offs that demand careful consideration, as they could impede progress towards desired objectives.

Crucially, comprehending how progress towards a specific goal may either catalyze or hinder the attainment of another goal provides a nuanced understanding of the impact of technology on SDG achievement. This nuanced understanding is pivotal in navigating the complex landscape of sustainable development, shedding light on the intricate dynamics technology introduces to pursuing SDGs. 

Progress

The IHME team effectively utilized their monitoring tool to assess the SDG index across 188 countries, drawing insights from the extensive country data from 1990 to 2015. The findings revealed an overall improvement in SDG health indicators since 2000. While this progress resulted in increased life expectancy, a concurrent rise in functional limitations associated with ageing occurred.

Noteworthy advancements in meeting development goals, particularly in health-related SDGs, were observed in southeast and central Asia and specific regions in Latin America. Timor-Leste, Bhutan, and Colombia stood out for making substantial improvements in health indicators since 2000. Conversely, three countries, Libya, Syria, and Chile, experienced significant declines. The IHME team’s comprehensive analysis sheds light on the complex dynamics of health outcomes globally. In 2015, Iceland emerged as the top performer in terms of development, with Singapore and Sweden following closely behind. Conversely, the Central African Republic, Somalia, and South Sudan were at the bottom of the list.

Several surprising discoveries were made during this assessment. The United States, despite its global standing, secured only the 28th position. This lower ranking was primarily attributed to its subpar performance on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) indicators, such as alcohol consumption, childhood obesity, deaths from interpersonal violence, self-harm, and unintentional poisoning. Another unexpected revelation was India’s placement at 143rd despite its significant economic growth. India struggled notably in areas such as maternal mortality, malaria incidence, mortality linked to inadequate access to water and sanitation, and air pollution.

Interestingly, countries in Western Europe, Latin America, parts of Asia, and even Australia surpassed expectations by achieving higher development levels. Notably, some nations that excelled in MDG indicators did not fare as well in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators, showcasing disparities in their developmental trajectories. 

In an effort to enhance countries’ capabilities in gathering, analyzing, and utilizing dependable health data for local decision-making and monitoring progress towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collaborative initiative involving development agencies, nations, donors, and academics was launched. Known as the Health Data Collaborative, this collective aims to promote the capacity of nations to manage health information effectively.

One significant outcome of the collaborative efforts is the Global Reference List of 100 Core Health Indicators. The ultimate goal is to have at least 60 countries actively collecting and utilizing reliable health data by the year 2024. The rationale behind this initiative, as outlined in its work plan for 2016–17, emphasizes the fact that a considerable number of people still go unaccounted for, with crucial aspects of their lives left unmeasured. The Collaborative underlines the pressing need for high-quality real-time data, especially underscored by recent disease outbreaks, highlighting the urgency for comprehensive and timely information.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the intricate interplay between global health initiatives and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is critical to our collective journey towards a healthier and more sustainable future. The 2030 Agenda, with its 17 SDGs, encapsulates a comprehensive framework addressing social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Progress assessment reveals successes and challenges, with notable advancements in specific regions and unexpected disparities among nations. The concept of SDG Interlinkages underscores the interconnected nature of these goals, emphasizing the ripple effects actions can have across the entire system. The Health Data Collaborative’s initiative to enhance data collection and utilization reflects a commitment to informed decision-making and monitoring progress.

Understanding the nuanced dynamics, such as technology’s impact on SDG achievement, is vital for navigating the complex landscape of sustainable development. As we delve into the interlinkages and progress made, it becomes evident that a holistic and collaborative approach is imperative. The SDGs serve as a checklist and catalyst for innovation and practical approaches, driving us towards accelerated health improvements. A commitment to flexible strategies, constant evaluation, and global collaboration is essential to address emerging health challenges and ensure the 2030 Agenda’s success. This exploration sheds light on the transformative potential embedded in the intersection of global health and sustainable development, urging us to navigate this path with diligence, adaptability, and a shared vision for a better world.

References 

This article was originally written by Wang Shijin et al. published on Research gate. The link for the same is herein. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367591241_Progress_toward_Sustainable_Development_Goals_and_interlinkages_between_them_in_Arctic_countries 

This was published on the WHO website. The link for the same is herein. https://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/est/documents/progress-on-health-related-sdgs-and-targets.pdf?ua=1

This was published on the WHO website. The link for the same is herein. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/hsd/hwf/01-monitoring-the-health-related-sdgs-background-paper.pdf?sfvrsn=3417607a_4&download=true 

This article was originally written by Nan Tian et al. published on PubMed Central. The link for the same is herein. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36816232/ 

This article was originally written by Shirin Malekpour published Science Direct. The link for the same is herein. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259033222300458X 

This article was originally written by Yi Gao published on Nature. The link for the same is herein. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00846-x 

This was published on the UN website. The link for the same is herein. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2018/interlinkages/ 

This article was originally written by Markus Hametner published on Wiley. The link for the same is herein. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sd.2290 

This article was originally written by Felix Laumann published on Launcet. The link for the same is herein. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00070-5/fulltext

This article was originally written by Jean-Pierre Cling and Clément Delecourt published on Launcet. The link for the same is herein. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2452292922000066 

This article was originally published on Rutgers. The link for the same is herein. https://globalhealth.rutgers.edu/what-we-do/what-is-global-health/