Post#3 Healthcare Technology and its importance to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)

  

                                                                                    

    

What are SDG's??????

"The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognise that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Countries have committed to prioritizing progress for those who are furthest behind. The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls.

The creativity, know-how, technology, and financial resources from all of society are necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context" (Sustainable Development Goals, n.d.).

ok.....sooo what does Healthcare Technology have to do with SDGs? 

Good health and well-being are essential to the human condition, which is largely dependent on a healthy environment and hence will be affected by unsustainable development practices(Froehlich et al., 2020).

healthcare technology stands as a key player in achieving SDG 3 by improving health outcomes. It plays a crucial role in reducing communicable disease mortality, supporting SDG target 3.4. Moreover, it contributes to ensuring universal health coverage (UHC) through efficient service delivery, as outlined in SDG target 3.8(Hub, n.d.).

whereas, In developed countries, the institutions of human development, globalization and innovations influence SDG3, and SDG17, which depend on digitized knowledge and the application of digital technologies(Popkova et al., 2022).

we can also understand that healthcare technology is a key focus, especially in Low and medium-income countries, aligning with commitments in SDG's 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), the environment (SDGs 12 and SDGs 13) as well as partnerships (SDGs 17).

healthcare technology development in the SDGs can result in the following results:

- Humanizing of healthcare environments and architecture

- Reducing waste through access to healthcare technology such as e-health, telemedicine 

- Empowering individuals to take care of their own health 

- Development of biotechnology that can reduce waste in landlocked countries 

- Attracting and Retaining Healthcare Workers 

- Strengthening Partnerships between agencies, public healthcare and academic institutions

-  Advance Development of  Transformational Sustainability in Trinidad and Tobago 

References :

1) Popkova, E. G., De Bernardi, P., Tyurina, Y. G., & Sergi, B. S. (2022, February). A theory of digital technology advancement to address the grand challenges of sustainable development. Technology in Society, 68, 101831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101831

2)  Hub, I. S. K. (n.d.). Generation 2030: Embracing Digital Health in the Face of Climate Crises | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD. https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/generation-2030/embracing-digital-health-in-the-face-of-climate-crises/#:~:text=Digital%20health%20stands%20as%20a,outlined%20in%20SDG%20target%203.8.

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