Topic 2 DQ 1 Comment 2

Learning Goal: I’m working on a nursing discussion question and need support to help me learn.

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The United Nations (UN, 2020b) lists 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create a more sustainable future which all communities are able have the resources necessary to meet their own needs without the depletion of those resources. The SDGs dress many global challenges, including poverty, climate change, hunger, inequality, and others (UN, 2020b). Whereas a menu of sustainable development goals implies the option to pick and choose a single objective from a range of goals, a roadmap indicates a list of milestones that build upon one another along a pathway, the destination of which is sustainability. Sustainability, however, cannot be achieved by any one method, but rather by a synthesis of multiple efforts, achieved through cooperation. Thus, Katja Iversen’s statement is correct: a roadmap is a more accurate depiction of the SDGs, and looking to partner with a local government/organization/charity/etc. to effect change for a particular community is a realistic method of traversing the path to sustainability.

Two SDGs connected to health outcomes include quality education (goal 4) and gender equality (goal 5). Quality education is necessary for good health, first, because it directly exercises the mind, yielding positive cognitive health and mental well-being; second, because it develops the skills necessary to understand and avoid health risk behavior and navigate the healthcare system; and third, because it allows for higher income, thus providing resources to access higher quality healthcare and better nutrition, as well as reducing stress (Hahn & Truman, 2015). Gender equality, or rather, the empowerment of women and girls, is additionally linked to improved health outcomes. Empowering women and girls across the globe provides the agency and self-confidence needed to seek out health information, which improves health knowledge, engagement in healthy behaviors, informed healthcare decision-making, and advocacy for one’s health needs (Nasrabadi, et al., 2015). Women’s empowerment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, is regularly linked with improved maternal and child health outcomes, including reduced mortality, improved nutrition, and higher utilization of health services and immunizations (Johnson, 2020). Further, including women in the broader socioeconomic and sociopolitical decision-making process allows feminine values to be reflected in health policy, values which often benefit society as a whole. These values include justice and equality, empathy and compassion; in healthcare, that translates to an emphasis on patient-centered care, promoting quality of life, diversity in the healthcare workforce and leadership, and others (Maas, 2020).