Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

The poorer a person is, the lower their life expectancy. The weakest members of society enjoy poorer medical care and are more likely to live in unhealthy environments. But even prosperous individuals face health risks: addiction, road traffic accidents and environmental contamination are only a few examples.

We have seen many positive trends in recent years. We have managed to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and to significantly reduce maternal and child mortality. But pregnancy and childbirth still pose a risk for many women around the world. In industrialised countries the number of cases of cardiovascular diseases is rising. The elderly and children are always more vulnerable, because they are less resistant to health risks. And epidemics like Ebola or HIV/AIDS are a threat to all age groups and sections of the population, even across continents.

What must be done?

Many deaths and cases of sickness around the world could have been avoided. The causes range from unhealthy lifestyles, poor nutrition, hygiene and health care , to a lack of health education and vaccines, and contamination of the immediate environment in which people live. If we are to give all people access to medical care, more money will have to be invested – to employ doctors, psychologists and midwives, and in research. Health risks must also be minimised, including the risks posed by contaminated drinking water, tobacco consumption and unprotected sex. Legal regulations, controls and education can be extremely effective here.

Facts and figures

Maternal mortality around the world dropped by 44 per cent between 1990 und 2015. Yet every day 800 women still die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth.
In 2014, a total of 36.9 million people around the world were HIV-positive, 70 per cent of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
Non-communicable diseases like heart conditions, circulatory diseases and cancer were responsible for 68 per cent of all deaths worldwide in 2012.

Targets

Reduce maternal mortality Reduce child mortality End tropical diseases and epidemics Physical and mental health Fight addiction Greater transport safety Facilitate family planning Health care for all Less illnesses through environmental toxins Reduce tobacco consumption Medicines and vaccines Increase workforce in health sector Improve risk management

3.1 Reduce maternal mortality

By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births

3.2 Reduce child mortality

By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births

3.3 End tropical diseases and epidemics

By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases

3.4 Physical and mental health

By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being

3.5 Fight addiction

Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol

3.6 Greater transport safety

By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents

3.7 Facilitate family planning

By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes

3.8 Health care for all

Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all

3.9 Less illnesses through environmental toxins

By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination

3.a Reduce tobacco consumption

Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate

3.b Medicines and vaccines

Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all

3.c Increase workforce in health sector

Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States

3.d Improve risk management

Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks

Germany-Alumna Ana Riza Mendoza from the Philippines — Germany-Alumna Ana Riza Mendoza, Senior Tourism Operations Officer from the Philippines

“I strongly believe that prevention is better than cure. There is a need to educate everyone to eradicate diseases so that everyone will be aware of the various health issues worldwide.”

Source: Alumniportal Community

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Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General from 2007 to 2016

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