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![Example of direct generic interactions between the Sustainable Development Goal targets and child health. Adapted from Blomstedt et al [29] (Stockholm, Sweden. 2022).](publication/359806884/figure/tbl1/AS:1142443718254593@1649391216780/Example-of-direct-generic-interactions-between-the-Sustainable-Development-Goal-targets.png)
Example of direct generic interactions between the Sustainable Development Goal targets and child health. Adapted from Blomstedt et al [29] (Stockholm, Sweden. 2022).
Source publication
Background: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated, indivisible and interdependent and interact and affect each other directly and indirectly. However, the 2030 Agenda does not attempt to identify or characterise these interactions.
Evidence: The SDG Synergies approach was developed to enable the investigation of the strength and n...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... Target Interaction Direction 17 17.1 Strengthen domestic resource mobilisation/tax revenue +1 Improving state revenue enables investments in clinics and health programmes for children. Conversely, improved child health frees up time and resources for productive work which enables stronger tax revenues. ...Context 2
... analysis also suggested that multisectoral collaboration on some targets is essential for sustainable progress on child health, for example target 1.1 (eradicate extreme poverty) or 6.1 (achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water). A selection of interactions and their assessments are presented in Table 1. Interestingly, the analysis found few negative interactions showing the limited number of trade-offs with child health. ...Citations
... Although the practical application of public policies relating water and tourism to the SDGs in Brazil (and around the world) has yet to be seen, one example is the relationship between health and the SDGs. For instance, in Sri Lanka, the mapping of synergies has led to the development and expansion of policies aimed at sustainable development, according to Helldén et al. (2022). ...
This study explores the synergies between water management and tourism, analysing the relationship among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A Focus Group (FG) was used to gather in-depth and unique reflections and generate discussions and interpretations on the topics. The data collected was analysed using Textual Discourse Analysis (TDA), and four categories were thus determined: (i) Dignity, equity and justice, (ii) Socio-biodiversity, (iii) Citizen education, and (iv) Environmentally and socially sustainable economic production. Based on water management and tourism, 170 relationships were found between the SDGs. Six of the 17 goals connected with all the other SDGs, namely SDGs 3, 6, 8, 11, 13 and 17. The dialectic relationship between water conservation and sustainable tourism development is a suitable way to enhance the 2030 Agenda and help build synergies to achieve its goals in an integrated and transdisciplinary way.
... It has been used in Cambodia to understand the linkages between the SDGs and child health [18], as well as in Sri Lanka and other middle-income settings to discuss priority setting of SDGs or SDG targets [19]. For more details on healthfocused applications of the SDG Synergies approach see Helldén et al. [20] however the major advantages of the method is that is provides a middle ground between a pure quantitative or qualitative approach, and that it incorporate the subjectivity which is inherent in decision making processes and prioritisation. In short, the approach consists of three steps: (i) identification and selection of the relevant goals or targets (ii) assessment of the interactions between the selected goals or targets by a multistakeholder group and (iii) analysis of the direct and indirect effects through network theory. ...
... Despite the multitude of challenges, Somalia has made progress on improving the health and well-being in the country [35]. Similarly to other analyses of the linkages between health and the SDGs [20,36,37], we found that improving good health and well-being can enable progress on other SDGs. Conversely, health was deemed to be relying on the development of other sectors possibly due to the chronic instability of Somalia and relatively underdeveloped other sectors. ...
Background
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 compromises 17 universal and indivisible goals for sustainable development, however the interactions between the SDGs in Somalia is not known which is vital for understanding potential synergies and trad-offs between the SDGs. Hence, this study aims to identify and classify the linkages between the SDGs with a focus on health and well-being (SDG 3) in Somalia.
Methods
Following the SDG Synergies approach, 35 leading experts from the public and private sectors as well as academia and civil society gathered for a 2-day workshop in Mogadishu and scored the interactions between the individual SDGs on a seven point-scale from − 3 to + 3. From this, a cross-impact matrix was created, and network models were used to showcase the direct and indirect interactions between the SDGs with a focus on SDG 3 (good health and well-being).
Results
Many promoting and a few restricting interactions between the different SDGs were found. Overall, SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) influenced the other SDGs the most. When second-order interactions were considered, progress on SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) showed the largest positive impact on SDG 3 (good health and well-being). SDG 3 (good health and well-being) was heavily influenced by progress on other SDGs in Somalia and making progress on SDG 3 (good health and well-being) positively influenced progress on all other SDGs.
Conclusion
The findings revealed that in Somalia, the interactions between the SDGs are mostly synergistic and that SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) has a strong influence on progress on other SDGs as well as progress on SDG 3 (good health and well-being). This study highlights the need for a multisectoral strategy to accelerate progress on the SDGs in Somalia in general, and particularly SDG 3 (good health and well-being).
... The theory is that health can contribute to achieving sustainable development, be one of its beneficiaries, and serve as a gauge for its success [8,54]. Health and well-being metrics can be used to gauge how well the SDGs are being implemented because SDG-3 is vital and interconnected in achieving other SDGs [55]. The crucial role of SDG-3 is seen in the relevance of health and well-being to human existence. ...
In the era of rapid technological advancement, wearables have emerged as a promising tool for enhancing health and well-being. The convergence of health and technology drives an unprecedented change in the approach to health and well-being management. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential role of wearables in actualising health and well-being, thereby paving the way for a healthier and more sustainable future. Using the Affordance Theory lens, this paper delves into the transformative potential of wearables in health and well-being management, thereby promoting Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages. The thematic analysis of online reviews on wearable devices captured through web scraping was carried out to explore the potential of these devices in the management of health and well-being. The paper explored how wearables, often integrated into everyday life, can monitor vital signs, track fitness metrics, and even provide therapeutic benefits for health and well-being. The findings reveal that wearables can empower individuals to take charge of their health by leveraging real-time data and personalised feedback, promoting a proactive and preventive approach to health management and resource-effective healthcare. Furthermore, the paper highlights how wearables can contribute to long-term health outcomes for the present generation without exerting excessive strain on the resources for future generations.
... An idiographic approach tilts towards more in-depth, individualised interventions and treatments which in turn, fulfill the mission of sustainable development goals to strive for good health and well-being. 6 Countries with a high prevalence of consanguinity, as is the case from where this current report originates, are rife with rare cases that would warrant the utilisation of an idiographic rather than a nomothetic approach for reporting such cases. ...
With the focus on an idiographic approach whereby the observations incorporated the various dimensions of individual functioning ‘top-down’ to ‘bottom-up’, this case report describes the successful management of a 14-year-old girl with Kearns-Sayre syndrome and Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen disease requiring a transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation for complete heart block. The patient presented to a tertiary care centre in Muscat, Oman, in 2023 seeking consultation. The current idiographic approach appears to have a heuristic value for 2 interrelated reasons. Firstly, it is unlikely that even tertiary care units can accrue such rare presentations and scrutinise them under nomothetic approach. Secondly, by employing the idiographic approach that is capable of examining each case in-depth, the aspiration for good health and well-being may come to the forefront. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first published idiographic report in anaesthesia care. Keywords: Intravenous Anaesthetics; Artificial Pacemaker; Kearns-Sayre Syndrome; Propofol; Idiographic Approach; Case Report; Oman.
... Furthermore, the 2030 Agenda explicitly acknowledges that the SDGs are indivisible [1]. However, there are no instructions in the 2030 Agenda regarding how the interactions between the goals should be taken into consideration [4,5]. Interactions between goals can have both positive and negative effects [6]. ...
A systematic and contextualized assessment of the interactions between the Sustainable Development Goals and health in the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently lacking. This study aimed to characterize and classify the linkages between the Sustainable Development Goals in the DRC with a focus on health and well-being. In this semi-qualitative participatory study, 35 experts assessed 240 interactions between 16 of the 17 SDGs during a two-day workshop in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, using a scale from +3 (strongly promoting) to −3 (strongly restricting). SDG 16 (Peace, justice, and strong institutions) had the strongest promoting influence on other goals and was identified as a key priority for the DRC to attain the SDGs. Progress on SDG 3 (good health and well-being) was perceived as promoting progress on most SDGs, and through second-order interactions, a positive feedback loop was identified. Furthermore, progress on the other SDGs was deemed to promote progress on SDG 3, with SDG 16 having the greatest positive potential when second-order interactions were taken into account. Our results show the importance of recognizing synergies and trade-offs concerning the interactions between health and other SDGs and that it is imperative to set up structures bringing together different sectors to accelerate work towards achieving the 2030 Agenda.
We believe it is unrealistic to expect significant improvements to health and well-being unless progress is made on the targets for the UN's Sustainable Development Goal SDG-3. In addition, an individual’s health is influenced by many non-medical factors, the social determinants of health (SDH). These include where we are born and whether we have access to money, power, or resources. For people born in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), or born into poverty within high-income countries, significant improvements to health depend on our ability to initiate effective multisectoral action and fully engage the community in these efforts.
Public Health Action (PHA) has been the flagship journal for operational research for more than a decade.1,2 Since its launch, the journal’s coverage has adapted in line with the broader global health agenda, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).3 SDG 3 is one of the 17 SDGs and focuses on ensuring good health and promoting well-being at all stages of the life cycle.4,5 The goal has 13 targets and 28 indicators including progress towards reducing maternal mortality, ending all preventable deaths under five years of age, and prevention and control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Progress is also measured on a range of diverse issues such as tobacco control, developing and providing universal access to vaccines and medicines, and developing early warning systems for global health risks. The process involves ending the epidemics of AIDS, TB, malaria, and other communicable diseases. SDG 3 is highly aspirational in its aims to achieve universal health coverage and equitable access to healthcare services. Embedded in the UN’s 2030 Agenda is also the removal of health and social inequalities, the effects of climate change, and the imperative for pandemic preparedness in a world still reeling from the effects of COVID-19.6
If nothing else, the SDGs illustrate the substantive problems that we must address to achieve progress in healthcare. We believe that it is unrealistic to expect significant improvements to health and well-being for all unless progress is made on the targets for SDG-3. In addition, an individual’s health is influenced by many non-medical factors, termed the social determinants of health (SDH). These include where we are born and whether we have access to money, power, or resources at the local and national levels. For people born in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), or born into poverty within high-income countries, significant improvements to health depend on the synergies and complementarities between SDG-3 and the other SDGs.7–9 It is therefore essential that we also make progress in ending poverty (SDG-1), improving access to education (SDG-4), reducing inequalities (SDG-10), provide food security (SDG-2), provision of water and sanitation (SDG-6) and mitigating climate change (SDG-13).
Developing linkages between these SDGs will also address two critical gaps in primary healthcare (PHC), namely the lack of community involvement and multisectoral action.10–12 These are significant problems for weak healthcare systems in LMICs. A recent Editorial in PHA highlighted the importance of Community Connect at the Union’s World Conference on Lung Health.11 This forum recognises the importance of communities and leverages their strengths to make meaningful progress on the End-TB Strategy. There is also a need to enhance collaboration between other sectors (e.g., housing, environment and economy) and groups (e.g., government, civil society and the private sector).14 By engaging all relevant parties, various stakeholders can combine their knowledge, expertise and resources with the common goal of achieving a healthier and more productive society. An undertaking of this magnitude requires political commitment at the highest level within national governments and international agencies. Naturally, this commitment includes the need to provide sustained financing for efficient implementation and positive outcomes.
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The article carried out a historical analysis of the process of emergence, formation and evolution of the conceptual foundations of sustainable development. The use of the historical method made it possible to reconstruct cause-and-effect relationships, recreate the events of the past and gain a deeper understanding of the content of the problems that preceded the emergence of the concept, identified the features of its formation and directed its consistent development. It has been found that ideas of sustainable development have a long history of dominance at the global societal level, spanning over fifty years. The adoption of the idea of sustainable development as the main one for humanity occurred as a result of the aggravation of environmental and social problems caused by the rapid growth of the total population of the planet and the growth of the global gross domestic product ahead of it, which was accompanied by the processes of globalization and was oriented towards the use of a development model focused on maximizing economic efficiency. The formation of the idea of sustainable development began with a dialogue between industrialized countries and developing countries regarding the connection between economic growth and environmental pollution and social well-being, as a result of which the concept and guiding principles of sustainable development were introduced, strategies for investing in the future were formed, a set of political commitments of states, innovative guiding principles of the green economy policy were adopted, a financing strategy was introduced, and sustainable development goals were adopted. In the process of global formation of ideological foundations, the content of sustainable development was defined as meeting the needs of the present without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
