Challenges and Opportunities of Public Health Nutrition in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

• Main Author: Sakinah, Harith
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/1202/1/FH03-FSK-18-12108.pdf; http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/1202/

In 2015, the world agreed a new set of global goals to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve sustainable development. Building on the Millennium Development Goals MDGs), they are known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs includes social, economic and environmental dimensions. The MDGs focused heavily on important social development issues, such as poverty, health and education, to the exclusion of economic and environmental aspects. The SDGs attempt to balance the three dimensions and they are the first attempt that has been made to integrate this approach across such a broad range of issues at the United Nation (UN). The effort to move beyond single issues is not perfect and there are contradictions between some of the goals and targets. The SDGs will influence government planning and donor priorities over the coming decades. Many governments are creating national sustainable development plans that integrate action on the goals. National governments will be responsible for implementation of the global goals from 2015 through to 2030, with support from the international community. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at realising balanced growth across the globe by 2030. This presentation focuses on the Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well‐being for all at all ages. However, this Goal 2 is too broad in scope, aims to cover too many topics and therefore faces too many tradeoffs. Recent studies have found that the challenge of malnutrition is broader than the issue of hunger or undernourishment. Low quality and low diversity of food are other major sources of malnutrition. Individuals may have an intake of enough calories for daily subsistence, and still suffer from “hidden hunger”, with low levels of micronutrients due to low diversification of diets. This is a problem in both developing and developed countries, affecting 30 per cent of the world’s population. The excess intake of calories is another major global public-health concern, as overweight and obesity cause more than 2.8 million deaths per year among adults. Though, the Goal 3 is about ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. The goal’s focus on ensuring healthy lives rather than preventing diseases or infirmity is highly welcome, yet the level of ambition is likely unrealistic, given the current operationalisation of the goal. Therefore, health systems need to be strengthened to respond more effectively and equitably to the healthcare needs of people throughout the life course and prevent negative health consequences. In addition, different countries have different priorities, and they are likely to put different emphasis on the various goals and targets depending on their national circumstances.