The United Nations Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) is barely 7 years away from its timeline. How much progress has been made with the agenda to achieve global peace, to protect the planet from degradation; ensure that all human beings enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives; to mobilize Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
This article is focused on SDG#3 which seeks to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.
Sustainable Health
Sustainable health is defined as “a system that improves, maintains or restores health, while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and leveraging opportunities to restore and improve it”. Put clearer, the principle seeks to ensure that organisms within the ecosystem do not get destroyed to the benefit of the health and well-being of current and future generations.
To achieve Sustainable Health, the World Health Organization outlines ten (10) avenues for action to form the core of a strategy for fostering environmental sustainability in health systems, namely
- adopting a national environmental sustainability policy for health systems;
- minimizing and adequately managing waste and hazardous chemicals;
- promoting an efficient management of resources;
- promoting sustainable procurement;
- reducing health systems’ emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution;
- prioritizing disease prevention, health promotion and public health services;
- engaging the health workforce as an agent of sustainability;
- increasing community resilience and promoting local assets;
- creating incentives for change; and
- promoting innovative models of care.
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Who defines Sustainable Health as…
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #3 seeks to: “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”
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Prevention strategies:
These should emphasize education, training, creating safer environments, prioritizing fall-related research and establishing effective policies to reduce risk.