The Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) is a global concept and a commitment established by the United Nations in 2015. It is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goal's purpose is to "ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages". It was created to address the complexity of global health challenges, including widening economic and social inequalities, the continuing burden of infectious diseases, and emerging issues like non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
SDG 3 works through 13 targets and 28 indicators to measure progress toward 2030. Key provisions include Target 3.8, which aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), ensuring access to quality essential health-care services without financial hardship. Other outcome targets include reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births (Target 3.1) and ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age (Target 3.2). It also targets ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria (Target 3.3) and reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third (Target 3.4).
The goal connects directly to India's public health actions and is a central theme for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). India's efforts to achieve SDG 3 are closely linked to the implementation of the National Health Mission and the push for UHC. While the core goal has not been replaced, the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises have slowed progress, leading to setbacks in areas like childhood vaccination rates, which necessitates increased investment in health systems to build resilience. The goal's focus has broadened from the MDGs' emphasis on maternal and child health and infectious diseases to also stress NCDs, mental health, and pollution-related mortality.