Health and well-being have a central role in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed by the United Nations, emphasizing the integral part they play in building a sustainable future. The third SDG explicitly calls for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. This goal encompasses a wide range of health objectives, from reducing maternal and child mortality rates, combatting disease epidemics, to improving mental health and well-being. But beyond SDG 3, health is intrinsically linked with almost all the other goals.
When addressing SDG 1, which aims to end poverty, one cannot neglect the social determinants of health. Economic hardship often translates into poor nutrition, inadequate housing, and limited access to health care, leading to a vicious cycle of poverty and poor health. Similarly, achieving SDG 2, ending hunger, also contributes to better health through adequate nutrition, essential for physical and mental development and the prevention of various diseases.
Conversely, the repercussions of climate change, encapsulated in SDG 13, profoundly impact health. Rising global temperatures can lead to increased spread of infectious diseases, compromised food and water supplies, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, all posing severe health risks. Conversely, the promotion of good health can also mitigate climate change through the reduction of carbon-intensive lifestyles and adoption of healthier, more sustainable behaviors.
SDG 5, advocating for gender equality, also has substantial health implications. Ensuring women's access to sexual and reproductive health services not only improves their health outcomes, but also contributes to societal and economic development. Furthermore, achieving SDG 4, quality education, is also critical for health promotion. Education fosters health literacy, empowering individuals to make informed health decisions, hence improving overall community health.
Lastly, SDG 17 underlines the importance of partnerships for achieving these goals. Multi-sector collaboration is vital to integrate health considerations into all policies and practices. Stakeholders from various sectors, including health, education, agriculture, finance, and urban planning, need to align their efforts in creating sustainable environments that foster health and well-being.
Hence, the relationship between health, well-being, and the SDGs is reciprocal. Improving health and well-being helps in achieving sustainable development, and vice versa. In this context, health and well-being are not just outcomes but are also powerful enablers of sustainable development. For the world to truly thrive, it must recognize and act upon these interconnections.
This study highlights the vital role of traditional Adivasi healers in providing oral health care within marginalized communities in Gudalur, India, where formal dental services are limited. It emphasizes that integrating indigenous healing practices with Western biomedicine can improve oral health outcomes and calls for inclusive health systems that respect cultural and structural determinants.
This research partnered with Aboriginal Elders to co-design and implement a 13-week online unit aimed at educating non-Indigenous health care providers on culturally respectful and safe dementia care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The involvement of Elders in guiding content, delivering weekly Zoom sessions, and evaluating students’ work was highly valued, leading to the unit’s recognition and availability nationally and internationally through the University of Tasmania.
This study explored the life stressors and coping strategies of Indigenous women living in Toronto through sharing circles and interviews, revealing their varied experiences of control over socio-economic challenges, identity, and social environments. The findings highlight the complex ways these women manage stress and offer valuable insights for service providers, policy-makers, and researchers to better support their wellbeing.
This content aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure by exploring a novel area of research exploring the link between vascular disease and Alzheimer's Disease.
Raising Genomics Literacy, Knowledge, and Awareness, Translational and Applied Genomics, 2025, Pages 161-171
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This study highlights that infertility in Southern Ghana often leads women to face stigma and cultural barriers when considering adoption, underscoring the need for community engagement to support their decision-making process.
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Despite global progress, maternal mortality remains high, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the urgent need for strong leadership, increased investment in well-trained midwives, and equitable, culturally sensitive maternity care to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing maternal deaths to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
The "Multigenerational Resilience Theory" highlights the cultural and intergenerational nature of resilience in indigenous communities, offering new strategies for addressing modern challenges.
