UN Sustainable Development Goals on health

What are the Sustainable Development Goals? 

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It set out 17 goals, called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as a universal call to action to end poverty, reduce inequality, and build a more prosperous and peaceful society by 2030.  

The 17 SDGs aim to end all forms of poverty by addressing a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities. 

Sustainable Development Goals and health 

Goal 3 is specific to health, ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages. However, the goals are integrated, recognising that action in one area will affect outcomes in others. For instance, intersectoral action by multiple stakeholders helps place health in all areas of policymaking. Neglected tropical diseases, including schistosomiasis, are linked to many SDGs. Their control and elimination are directly associated with achieving other SDGs, such as reducing poverty (SDG1), attaining quality education (SDG4), leading productive working lives (SDG8) and promoting equality (SDG5 and SDG10).  

The link between our strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals 

Our strategy Ending Parasitic Disease Together 23-28 is aligned with the three pillars of the 2021-2030 World Health Organization Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) road map. 

Each pillar has been tailored into a goal specific to our vision and mission. As such, the strategy is also linked with several SDGs outlined below. The SDGs can therefore be achieved only if the NTD goals are met.

1 – Parasitic worm infections affect the poorest and most marginalised communities. Eliminating these infections may help to alleviate poverty. 

2 – Parasitic worm infections affect a person’s ability to absorb nutrients and therefore have an impact on their nutritional status. They feed on host tissues, including blood, leading to malabsorption of key nutrients such as iron and protein. 

3 – Early and regular treatment, alongside water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), environmental (including One Health) and behavioural interventions are essential to reduce transmission of parasitic infections. 

4 – Deworming treatments improve children’s participation at school and some effects can persist into adulthood. Read more about our impact, including our support in treatment delivery. 

5 – The programmes we support ensure equal access to treatment, regardless of gender. Read more about our strategy. 

6 – We work in partnership with WASH initiatives to have the greatest impact in eliminating parasitic worm infections.  

8 – A 2021 study by a team of development economists suggests that early and regular treatment has an overall societal benefit by producing an estimated 37% rate of return on investment.  

9 – The availability of resilient infrastructure facilitates the delivery of medicines and outreach to remote communities. 

10 – The programmes we support ensure equal access to treatment, regardless of wealth status. Read more about our strategy.  

11 and 13 – The goals of sustainable cities and climate action can support the environmental management necessary for controlling disease vectors. 

17 – Attaining all SDGs and NTD goals is founded on strong global partnerships. We collaborate with multiple partners to ensure programmes achieve the goal of eliminating parasitic worm infections. Find out more about who we work with.