If we are to have a discussion about health we can not forget to include the sustainable development goals ;whose objective was to produce a set of universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing the world. The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint towards achieving a better and more sustainable future for everyone. They articulated about the global challenges faced, including those as a result of poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, to prevent any underachievement of any of the goal . The UN has set a deadline for achievement of these goals by 2030 (United Nations [UN], 2012).
Goal three is the goal of focus as it addresses health ” Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” which includes maternal and child health. Prior to the pandemic notable progress were made with improving life expectancy and diminishing some of the common risk associated with child and maternal mortality. However, more efforts are needed to totally eliminate a wide range of diseases and address many different persistent and emerging health issues. The UN has proposed that this can be achieved by focusing on providing more efficient funding of health systems, improved sanitation and hygiene, and increased access to physicians, significant progress can be made in helping to save the lives of millions. I would also include the nurses and midwives who work interdependently and independently towards achieving these goals through their various roles and function. These categories of staff play a major role towards achieving these goals. The achievement of the goal can be greatly affected as these categories of staff are in need of financial gains to meet their daily needs and they may also leave for “greener pastures” to seek financial, educational, and professional growth in these countries which poses a risk for countries in developing regions.
I will be sharing some facts and figures from the data provided by UN which highlight the challenges and strides made from targets towards achievement of goal three;
Child health
- In 2018 an estimated 6.2 million children and adolescents under the age of 15 years died, mostly from preventable causes. Of these deaths, 5.3 million occurred in the first five years, with almost half of these in the first month of life.
- In Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia there was an escalating number of child death with four out of five childhood death occurred before these children were five years old.
- Children in sub-Saharan Africa were more than 15 times more likely to die before the age of five than children in high income countries.
- Malnourished children, especially those with severe acute malnutrition, have an increased risk of death from common childhood illness such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, and malaria. Nutrition-related factors give rise to approximately 45per cent of deaths in children below five years of age (UN, 2012).
Maternal Health
- Over 40 percent of all countries have less than 10 medical doctors per 10,000 person; over 55 per cent of countries have less than 40 nursing and midwifery personnel per 10,000 person.
- Maternal mortality has decreased by approximately 2/3 in Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia.
- 2017 figures revealed that approximately 810 women died daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth
- 94 percent of maternal death occurred in low and lower middle income countries
- Young adolescents (ages 10-14) were at a greater risk of complications and death as a result of pregnancy than other women.
- Maternal mortality ratio in developing regions were 14 times higher than in developed regions (UN, 2012).
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Maternity Fluent 