SDSN Article on Health and the SDGs

Lauren Barredo, Manager, and the Co-Chairs of the Thematic Group on Health For All, Irene Agyepong, Gordon Liu, and Srinath Reddy, have an article in the latest UN Chronicle. “ The SDGs and a Healthier 2030 ” looks at lessons learned from the MDGs in the health sector, and how they can be applied to support rapid improvements in global health under the SDGs. They also look at what changes in the global burden of disease, such as the rise in non-communicable diseases, mean for the post-2015 agenda.

The article also calls on the need for the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC) saying, “Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the current goal is the target on universal health coverage (UHC). This is vulnerable to the critique of being too broad and therefore difficult to attain or to measure. However, ambitious targets are often needed to inspire progress. While the MDGs prioritized specific interventions for pregnant women and children under 5 years of age, UHC promotes healthier lives for all through investment in health systems. There is a growing body of evidence that investments in health systems are key to better health outcomes.”