Health workforce: fact sheet on Sustainable Development Goals (‎SDGs)‎: health targets

Overview

The Sustainable Development Goals (‎SDGs)‎ aim to transform our world. They are a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity. It is critical that no one is left behind. In 2015, all the countries in the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It sets out 17 Goals, which include 169 targets. These wide-ranging and ambitious Goals interconnect. SDG 3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. It has 13 targets measured through 26 indicators. However, a person’s health and well-being are affected not only by disease and treatment, but also by social and economic factors such as housing, poverty and education. Health targets can therefore also be found across the other SDGs. Human resources for health are the cornerstone of the health system in every country and play a critical role in achieving universal health coverage. Investing in human resources, including their recruitment, management and specialized training, is essential for any health system to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. This fact sheet includes facts and figures, outlines the challenges, charts indicators of progress and shares commitments made by Member States to tackle this issue.