Table of Contents
In an attempt to reduce the poverty level in the world, the United Nations came up with the millennium development goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs include elimination of extreme low living conditions, primary education, gender balance, child mortality rates and maternal health. Others include combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, environmental sustainability and a global partnership among countries in the world. As per 2015, most of the MDGs had been achieved. The poverty and hunger levels in most developing nations had been reduced by at least half. On the other hand, about 90% of the people managed to access primary education as compared to the 83% in 2000 (Were the Millennium Development Goals a success? Yes! Sort of, 2015). Similarly, the number of girls in schools in developing nations had been increased. There were reduced mortality rates and improved maternal health made possible by the improved medical services provided in the developing nations.
Malaria and other tropical diseases, which are common in the sub-Saharan African, were mostly eliminated. As a result, the amount of deaths caused by these diseases was reduced greatly. Despite the reduced HIV/AIDS infections witnessed, most of the people were still being infected (Galatsidas, & Sheehy, 2015). Therefore, this MDG was still not fulfilled as per the expectations in 2015. Moreover, half of the world’s population had access to clean water and sanitization by 2015. Furthermore, help from developed nations to the underdeveloped and developing nations increased. Clearly, most of the MDGs had been achieved by 2015. This shows that the world is a step ahead of being a better place by looking at the efforts made.
In 2012, the United Nations came up with the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to substitute the MDGs. Since most of the MDGs had been achieved, the SDGs were expected to help in the tackling of some of the most challenging scenarios in the world today. In addition, the SDGs were related to each other. Therefore, success in one goal would mean success in another. On the other hand, deterioration in one would make it hard for another goal to be achieved (BACKGROUND ON THE GOALS). Furthermore, making the life of future generations better influenced the making of the goals. The future generation should be able to see the impact of their parents to the world in a positive way. In addition, they look at every aspect of life from all perspectives, hence; no one sector is left behind in the struggle to make the world a better place to live in.
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Good health has always been a necessity in ensuring that a country is able to sustain itself. The MDGs also looked into the necessity of having a good health system for every person regardless of the age. In looking at the goal in a country in Africa, Kenya, this will be very evident. The infant mortality rates had been reduced considerably by the time the SDGs were being created (Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.). Similarly, maternal health had improved because of the developments in the health sectors of a country. In the same country, there have been efforts to reduce Malaria and other tropical diseases as were mentioned in the MDGs. In addition, the infection rates of HIV/AIDS in the country have also reduced by 30%. Through proper immunization of measles and tuberculosis, children can now live beyond their fifth birthday.
In Kenya, some of the things that have been done to ensure that the goal is achieved are mentioned below. First, just like many other countries, Kenya has ensured that sexual and reproductive health care is accessible to every individual in the country. This has been done through affordable family planning that aims at ensuring a good health for the people in the country as well as the preventing unwanted pregnancies among adolescents (PROGRESS OF GOAL 3 IN 2017). Similarly, the country has ensured that the maternal, neonatal and infant care is given priority as was in the MDGs. This makes it possible for the country to be able to develop faster by ensuring that its citizens have the best. The well-being of its citizens has also been improved over time through better education. In fact, each Kenyan benefits from free and accessible primary education that allows individuals to gain knowledge. It also makes the country stand a better chance of developing at a faster rate.
Being a third world country, one of the biggest challenges Kenya faces in achieving the goal is minimal finances. This makes it hard for the implementation of projects that can yield into better healthcare and well-being of the people. By the year 2030, Kenya hopes to have made major strides in the health sector. They include ensuring that major HIV/AIDS prevention measures are put in place. Malaria and other tropical diseases are expected to be eradicated completely. Particularly, anything pertaining the health of any Kenyan citizen is expected to be at a very good quality so as to protect its citizens from any preventable deaths.
Personal Opinion
Goal 3 is one of the most challenging goal that any country can have owing to the fact that the health of an individual is the most important thing. As a result, ensuring that it is well implemented will help any country to succeed. Therefore, the efforts that Kenya has taken to ensure that the country’s health is in line with the MDGs and the SDGs can be clearly seen. To me, making more efforts might see the country realize the goal maybe even before 2030.
Conclusively, it is essential that the health of every human being on earth is taken seriously regardless of the age of an individual. This makes this goal very important to anyone in the world. This also ensures that any country is able to get the other goals done since the health influences the work done by an individual.
- BACKGROUND ON THE GOALS, http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/background.html. Accessed 9th December 2017.
- Galatsidas, A., & Sheehy, F. What have the millennium development goals achieved? https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/datablog/2015/jul/06/what-millennium-development-goals-achieved-mdgs, 2015. Accessed 9th December 2017.
- Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health/. Accessed 9th December 2017.
- PROGRESS OF GOAL 3 IN 2017, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg3. Accessed 9th December 2017.
- Were the Millennium Development Goals a success? Yes! Sort of, http://www.wvi.org/united-nations-and-global-engagement/article/were-mdgs-success, 2015.