Signed on September 25, 2015, by the governments of the 193 United Nations member states and approved by the UN General Assembly, the Agenda is composed of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These 17 Goals deal with the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. They aim to: end poverty, fight inequality, tackle climate change, and build peaceful societies that respect human rights.

These goals concern all countries and all citizens. No one should be left behind or excluded from the path needed to guide the world towards sustainability.

The work of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health has clearly shown that achieving health requires “action from many other social and economic sectors beyond the health sector.” The centrality of health in the 2030 Agenda is evident through the links between Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) and the other 16 goals. SDG 3 aims to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”

Health benefits from progress in each of these areas, just as health contributes to achieving these goals. For example, reducing poverty leads to lower incidence of poverty-related diseases and enables people to invest more in their health. In turn, healthier individuals are able to work more, earn better wages, and enjoy economic prosperity.