Nexus between the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs and

Nexus between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Health Dr. Obiajulu Nnamuchi, LL. B (Awka), LL. M (Lund), LL. M (Toronto) LL. M (Notre Dame) M. A (Louisville), S. J. D (Loyola, Chicago)

INTRODUCTION Why is the Topic, the nexus between the SDGs and Health, important? Examining the response of WHO Director-General Margaret Chan and the misconceptions surrounding the topic Multisectoralism as justificatory of the response by WHO Director-General

SDG 1: End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere Is there a link between poverty and health? Using insights from Peace Studies and Liberation Theology to contextualize poverty as a human rights violation What is the benefit of adopting such approach? Poverty is not only a cause, it is also a consequence of poor health

SDG 2: End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture The challenge that this goal seeks to address is hunger or food insecurity What is the relationship between food insecurity and health? How do food-insecure individuals stand in terms of disease and illness vis-à-vis food secure individuals? What is the consequence of inaction regarding sustainable agriculture?

SDG 3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-Being for All at All Ages Isn’t the nexus between health and SDG obvious? Is there any need for further explanation?

Goal 4. Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All Is education a major predictor of health outcomes? (a) How? (b) Any illustrations? Does the educated class enjoy any advantage regarding underlying determinants of health? Education as empowerment Illustrating the challenge lack of education or illiteracy presents to health with maternal health

SDG 5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls Is there a relationship between SDG 5 and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)? So, how does the interface between CEDAW and SDG 5 relate to health? What is the importance of women empowerment on a more cosmopolitan level and how does the empowerment impact health?

SDG 6: Ensure Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All What is the link between water and sanitation? How does the link relate to health? Illustration 1. Cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe Illustration 2. Cholera outbreak in Zambia Any other link between water management and health, aside from poor health resulting from contaminated water sources?

SDG 7: Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All There are two dimensions to the relationship between access to energy and health – direct and indirect How does SDG 7 addresses challenges related to ensuring access to affordable and sustainable energy for all? Are the measures enumerated by SDG 7 adequate?

SDG 8: Promote Sustained, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All How does General Comment No. 14 define the meaning of health under Art. 12(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)? Why is this definition is important? What is the relationship between SDG 8 and health? (a) Economic growth (b) Employment and decent work for all

Conclusion The rest of the SDGs are related to achieving health objectives How? THANK YOU!!!