Good health and well-being

Morse, Tracy; (2022) Good health and well-being. In: Measuring Up 2.0. UN Global Compact Network UK, London, pp. 25-30.

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Abstract

Universal access to healthcare through the National Health Service (NHS) plays a key role in good performance in the UK against many of the Targets under SDG 3. However, as SDG 3 recognises through its wide-ranging scope, the health of the nation requires efforts beyond the healthcare system, taking into consideration the wider determinants of health and the impacts of wider societal inequalities. As such, this Goal cannot be considered in isolation but through the lens of the wider framework, and the impact other Goals have on health and well-being and vice versa. The last two years have seen significant impacts on the delivery of both the curative and preventative health services because of the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially stalling, and in some cases reversing, progress against the SDG 3 Targets. In addition, the pandemic has brought into sharp relief the impact of longstanding health, gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequalities, across the UK and within home nations, which must be prioritised if we are to make gains against the Targets. There are a number of health-specific areas that require urgent attention if the UK is to meet its commitments to the SDGs. These include not only the disease-related Targets, but also retention and support of health workers across the sector. This is also affected by the difference in service provision and crosssectoral collaboration across the nations of the UK through their devolved powers. It is imperative that focused attention is provided to the principles of ‘leaving no one behind’, directing efforts to key demographics, and ensuring that the overlap and synergies with other SDG Targets is not overlooked, particularly in relation to poverty (SDG 1) and inequalities (SDG 5 and SDG 10).

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