Sustainable Development Goal 3

Sustainable Development Goal 3
Mission statement	"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"
Commercial?	No
Type of project	Non-Profit
Location	Global
Founder	United Nations (UN)
Established	2015
Website	sdgs.un.org

Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3 or Global Goal 3), regarding "Good Health and Well-being", is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. The official wording is: "To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages."^[1] The targets of SDG 3 focus on various aspects of healthy life and healthy lifestyle. Progress towards the targets is measured using twenty-one indicators.^[2]

SDG 3 has 13 targets and 28 indicators to measure progress toward targets. The first nine targets are outcome targets:

• reducing maternal mortality
• ending all preventable deaths under five years of age
• fighting communicable diseases
• reducing mortality from non-communicable diseases and promoting mental health
• preventing and treating substance abuse
• reducing road injuries and deaths
• granting universal access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning and education
• achieving universal health coverage
• reducing illnesses and deaths from hazardous chemicals and pollution.

The four means of implementation targets^[3] are:

• implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
• supporting research, development, and universal access to affordable vaccines and medicines
• increasing health financing and support the health workforce in developing countries
• improving early warning systems for global health risks.^[2]

SDG 3 aims to achieve universal health coverage and equitable access of healthcare services to all men and women. It proposes to end the preventable death of newborns, infants and children under five (child mortality) and end epidemics.^[1]

Good health is essential to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda. It focuses on broader economic and social inequalities, urbanization, climate crisis, and the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases, while not forgetting emerging challenges such as non-communicable diseases.^[4] Considering the global pandemic of COVID-19, there is a need to give significant attention to the realization of good health and well-being on a global scale.

Progress has been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common causes of child and maternal mortality. Between 2000 and 2016, the worldwide under-five mortality rate decreased by 47 percent (from 78 deaths per 1,000 live births to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births).^[5] Still, the number of children dying under age five is very high: 5.6 million in 2016.^[5]