3 Good Health and Well-being

This goal aims to reduce global maternal mortality, prevent communicable and non-communicable diseases, and strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. This goal is closely related to our daily life and it reflects our attitudes to personal hygiene and physical and psychological well-being. It is also related to the new personal hygiene rules related to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic which has a great impact on our daily hygiene routines.

Daily personal behaviour is very important in order to enable and encourage learners to become active agents in the promotion and taking care of their well-being. Although personal hygiene is very important, it is necessary to also consider proper nutrition, daily habits and ways in which we promote healthy lifestyles. Taking care of your health also includes maintaining work rhythm in coordination with the natural sleep cycle.

In connection with this project, we can summarise this SDG in three main competencies which are essential especially for young people in our society: daily hygiene and healthy habits, safe driving, responsible sexual behaviour. The students should know and promote physical well-being and also understand the status of mental health and recognise the limits of daily life related to mental health. They should also promote safe driving, which is a very important skill that all young people should obtain. Finally, it is important to acknowledge the capacity to promote and adopt responsible sexual habits.

Targets ▼

3.1 By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
3.2 By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
3.3 By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.
3.4 By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.
3.6 By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
3.7 By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
3.A Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate.
3.B Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all.
3.C Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States.
3.D Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.

Action Area

Healthy lifestyles

This area refers to all behaviours connected to leading a healthy lifestyle to have a good life. This supposes awareness about healthy behaviours which allows us to achieve long-term well-being. It is important to consider that living a good life also means living in a clean and healthy environment and eating quality local and safe food. We need to consider the food we eat and how our diets are related to short supply chains. This includes understanding and ability to choose local and seasonal ingredients to prepare meals.
Personal hygiene and fitness

This area concerns the need to take good care of our hygiene and the health of our bodies. Every person needs to be able to take proper care of their physical well-being. Good health of each individual means good health for the population. Thus, spreading healthy personal hygiene and well-being habits means enhancing collective health. This area includes the capacity to keep one’s body in good shape by leading active everyday life which proposes performing a daily exercise or some kind of sport regularly.
Mental well-being

This area concerns every knowledge and behaviour that focuses on mental and psychological health in our current complex society. This area also includes knowledge and behaviours to prevent alcohol and drug addiction, including addiction to the internet, electronic devices, video games and other types of addiction. It’s connected with the capacity of people to know themselves and not utilise tools and substances in such ways that can create harmful addictions. This also suggests knowledge of services which help people to deal with addictions available in your country and the ability to recognise and use them.

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Learning Objectives ▼

Cognitive ▼

The learner knows conceptions of health, hygiene and well-being and can critically reflect on them, including an understanding of the importance of gender in health and well-being.
The learner knows facts and figures about the most severe communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and the most vulnerable groups and regions concerning illness, disease and premature death.
The learner understands the socio-political-economic dimensions of health and wellbeing and knows about the effects of advertising and about strategies to promote health and well-being.
The learner understands the importance of mental health. The learner understands the negative impacts of behaviours like xenophobia, discrimination and bullying on mental health and emotional well-being and how addictions to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs cause harm to health and well-being.
The learner knows relevant prevention strategies to foster positive physical and mental health and well-being, including sexual and reproductive health and information as well as early warning and risk reduction.

Socio-emotional ▼

The learner is able to interact with people suffering from illnesses, and feel empathy for their situation and feelings.
The learner is able to communicate about issues of health, including sexual and reproductive health, and well-being, especially to argue in favour of prevention strategies to promote health and well-being.
The learner is able to encourage others to decide and act in favour of promoting health and well-being for all.
The learner is able to create a holistic understanding of a life of health and well-being, and to clarify related values, beliefs and attitudes.
The learner is able to develop a personal commitment to promoting health and well-being for themselves, their family and others, including considering volunteer or professional work in health and social care.

Behavioural ▼

The learner is able to include health promoting behaviours in their daily routines.
The learner is able to plan, implement, evaluate and replicate strategies that promote health, including sexual and reproductive health, and well-being for themselves, their families and others.
The learner has the capacity to perceive when others need help and to seek help for themselves and others.
The learner is able to publicly demand and support the development of policies promoting health and well-being.
The learner is able to propose ways to address possible conflicts between the public interest in offering medicine at affordable prices and private interests within the pharmaceutical industry.

Organisational Perspective ▼

From an organisational perspective, contributing to good health and well-being implies creating such rules and guidelines which enhance the physical and mental well-being of the workers and their families, and spreading awareness about them. For example, if your company has a canteen, provide only quality local food and avoid any kind of junk food. You also have to ensure that the rules prevent overtime work and give your workers time to practice sport in their free time. This aspect is very important because stressed people are more susceptible to getting addicted to dangerous substances.

For all these reasons, we advise you to read a recent economic theory known as EL BUEN VIVIR (“The Living Good” theory) which puts the health of the individual and the environment before the work factor. The fundamental aspects of this theory have been integrated into the Constitutional Paper in Ecuador and Bolivia.

From an organisational perspective, the main target which a company has to achieve is the affirmation that the rights and health of a person are more important than accumulating profit. A company which wants to become an example of a positive actor and promote GOOD LIVING has to give up the idea of growth at all costs. An organisation which wants to promote the SDGs has to see the health of human beings, specifically its workers as their highest priority.

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Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Targets ▼

Action Area

Learning Objectives ▼

Cognitive ▼

Socio-emotional ▼

Behavioural ▼

Organisational Perspective ▼

Find out more

United Nations - SDG Knowledge - SDG3

United Nations - Facts & Figures - SDG3

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Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Action Area

Healthy lifestyles

Personal hygiene and fitness

Mental well-being

Organisational Perspective ▼