The Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the commitment entered into by UN member states in 2000, is coming to an end this year. Now, the world is aspiring to achieve a new set of global goals by 2030 where ‘no one is left behind’.

Building on MDGs, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) also known as Global Goals, was launched on September 25, 2015 at the Sustainable Development Summit. These new goals promise to finish the job of MDGs.

While the MDGs achieved significant developments over the past 15 years, persistent gaps have been evident and progress has been uneven across regions and UN member states . The MDG Report 2015 concludes that targeted efforts are needed to fill in the gaps and reach the most vulnerable people.

SDG on health

UN member states are set to adopt 17 SDGS by 2030. SDG 3 entitled Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages, embodies the global health goal.

¹The global health community expresses their disappointment as health component in the framework of SDG has been reduced. Global health will now play a less prominent role as one of the 17 SDGs from 3 of the eight MDGs. The good news is reducing child and maternal mortality, and reversing HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria are still integrated in SDG 3.

SDG 3 also includes targets on health security; reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health; infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and universal health coverage.

In light of the SDG on health, a new report calls for inclusion of global health research and development (R&D) indicators in SDG framework. The report— Measuring global health R&D for the post-2015 development agenda—was prepared by the think tank Policy Cures and commissioned by a group of leading global health nonprofits.

The report proposes three indicators to measure global health R&D and five additional indicators for countries to include in their national monitoring frameworks if appropriate for their circumstances.

“The transition from the MDGs to the new set of SDGs presents an opportunity to unlock resources for investments in education, health, equitable growth and sustainable production and consumption,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He encouraged countries to embrace the ambition embodied in the new set of goals.

The new global health goal presents more challenges and opportunities for low and middle income countries such as Philippines. According to the MDG report 2015, while some UN member states made significant achievements in health-related targets, others affected by high levels of HIV/AIDS, economic hardship or conflict are falling behind.

As PH currently experiences the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world, efforts to achieve SDG 3 must be intensified to ensure that no Filipino is left behind.

¹http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2815%2900300-1/fulltext?rss=yes