What is SDG?
As a citizen, one needs to understand about SDGs and their significance. SDG stands for Sustainable Development Goal, and these goals were decided by the United Nations.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs, also known as the Global Goals) are 17 goals with 169 targets that all UN Member States have agreed to work towards achieving by the year 2030.
They set out a vision for a world free from poverty, hunger and disease.
Health has a central place in SDG 3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”, underpinned by 13 targets that cover a wide spectrum of WHO’s work.
Almost all of the other 16 goals are related to health or their achievement will contribute to health indirectly.
The SDGs aim to be relevant to all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the environment and tackling climate change. They have a strong focus on improving equity to meet the needs of women, children and disadvantaged populations in particular so that “no one is left behind”.
This agenda builds on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were 8 goals that UN Member States signed in September 2000 to achieve targets to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women by 2015.