Sustainable Development Goals
SDG3 Good Health and Wellbeing
Everyone deserves to live a healthy life, and achieving Goal 3 means making going to the doctor more affordable, leading a healthy lifestyle easier, and preventing diseases effortless through access to safe medicine and vaccines for all.
We have made great progress against several leading causes of death and disease. Life expectancy has increased dramatically; infant and maternal mortality rates have declined, we’ve turned the tide on HIV and malaria deaths have halved. Good health is essential to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda reflects the complexity and interconnectedness of the two. It takes into account widening economic and social inequalities, rapid urbanisation, threats to the climate and the environment, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases, and emerging challenges such as noncommunicable diseases (UNDP).
As we confront the challenge of COVID-19 together, good health and wellbeing are front of mind. As Scouts we already know how to practice good hygiene, value fitness and the outdoors, and support each other in caring for our mental health – this SDG is a big part of who we are, and our Sustainability Strategy & Action Plan includes an outcome that “we have active programs that encourage good health and wellbeing”. Check out the resources below to learn more, take action, and then share to spread the word.
Keeping active, mentally and physically, forms one component of good health and wellbeing. With many of us experiencing more time in our homes than usual, we need to maintain, or establish, behaviours and routines that promote health and wellbeing. How are you maintaining exercise and health during our social distancing experiences? Scouts Australia’s youth program team have started developing ideas for how you might engage with each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
This card challenges you to contribute to our global goal of Good Health and Wellbeing by encouraging you to evaluate your current lifestyle and establish what aspects already reflect a healthy lifestyle, and where you might have areas you can improve. Every small part counts as we work towards these goals!
Learn More and Take Action
- WOSM’s Scouts For SDGs page: Good Health and Wellbeing (WOSM)
- Scouting Ireland’s 17days17sdgs campaign: Good Health and Well-Being (SI)
How do you live a healthy lifestyle? How can you support others to maintain Good Health and Wellbeing?
There are likely to be examples of Scouting’s role in building healthy communities across Australia. Published in the Australian Scout Magazine, here is the story of 1st Ballan Scout Group, Victoria, who recently worked with their local County Women’s Association branch to support their community.
Through a focus on the outdoors, we encourage members to stay healthy and set goals. Here are some examples of Scouting members, youth and adults, taking this to the next level through:
- marathons on the seven continents,
- hiking the Overland Track,
- journeying from the Victorian Alps to South Australia by foot, canoe and bike, and
- traversing the Nepalese mountains
Share Your Efforts
Now that you’ve taken action, share it to inspire others. If you post to social media, please tag Scouts Australia and include the hashtags #Scouts4SDGs #ScoutsAustralia #SDG03 #GoodHealth, and then head over to scout.org to register your project.
