Sustainable Health: What Is The Future of Healthcare? 

Author: Saanvi Jiteendra

Editor: Beatte Kim     

    By definition, sustainability is to "meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." It involves the interaction of three pillars: environment, economy, and society. When these three go hand-in-hand and complement each other, sustainability can be achieved.  The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created by the United Nations in 2015 with the aim to end issues such as poverty, hunger, and climate change by 2030. With the advent of the coronavirus, it has become increasingly necessary to shed light on these goals, especially Goal 3: Good health and well-being. 

    The virus is not only threatening the progress we've made to support this goal, but also creating a domino effect in other goals such as no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, decent work and economic growth, as well as clean water and sanitation. What does this goal mean? What can we do to achieve sustainable health in the face of the current pandemic and more to come?

 The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined Sustainable health as "a system that improves, maintains, or restores health, while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and leveraging opportunities to restore and improve it, to the benefit of the health and well-being of current and future generations." In essence, one must adopt healthy practices that not only benefit one's own health but the health of others and the environment. 

The Facts

    The coronavirus has increased the excessive mortality rate in various regions. The excessive mortality rate is the number of recorded deaths from all causes during the time of a crisis, which we can then compare to what it would have been during 'normal' conditions.

 

     

                 

    However, we must keep in mind that health is not only measured according to physiological parameters, but also mental. 

    During the pandemic, up to 56% of young adults have reported symptoms of anxiety/depression. Those facing job loss, also reportedly face symptoms of mental illness by 53% compared to those with a good financial situation (32%). Hence, it has become increasingly necessary that we try our level best to improve our progress towards this SDG despite the effects of the pandemic. 

What You Can Do

Luckily, this is not a herculean task, because good health starts from within! 

    Some sustainable actions you can take are growing your own vegetables for example. Not only will this motivate you to eat healthy, but planting more trees will produce more oxygen and in turn positively benefit the environment. Another example is opting to cycle small distances, this will activate your muscles thus keeping you fit, and it will also reduce your carbon footprint. 

    Now, what can you do for the society? For starters, begin by increasing your support for mental health. You can donate to organizations in need during these trying times, or more locally you could spend time talking to your friends and family and making sure that they're doing okay. Take care of your own mental health, invest your time in developing good mindful habits, like meditation, yoga, or practicing your hobbies. Spread awareness about this SDG, increased awareness means that people can consciously take actions towards achieving this goal! Cooperate with healthcare organizations, you can donate to your local hospital, show your support to healthcare workers, or even give your own feedback to improve the system!

    Remember, that we must not lose hope! We have 9 whole years to achieve this goal, with increased awareness, support, and cooperation we can definitely accomplish this goal among many others!

"Good health and good sense are two of life's greatest blessings"

- Publilius Syrus

Published: April.29.2021 

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Written by Matthieu Ricard, Founder and President. “5 Ways to Improve Health and Well-Being for All.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/5-ways-to-improve-the-well-being-of-the-world/.