Sustainable Development Goals: Where We Stand on SDG#3 Health and Well-being

Image by Vitaly Gariev

In the United States, SDG 3 is both a strength and a warning sign. The country has world-class medical research, leading hospitals, and strong public health institutions, yet it also struggles with high maternal mortality compared with other wealthy nations, uneven access to care, mental health crises, substance use deaths, and health disparities linked to income, race, geography, and insurance status. In other words, the US has the medical capacity to do better, but the system does not deliver equally for everyone. Which is frustrating to say the least. We can and should do better.

One of the biggest lessons of SDG 3 is that health is not just a healthcare issue. Housing, food, transportation, education, clean air, safe jobs, and social support shape it. A child who lives in a polluted neighborhood, a family that cannot afford medication, or a rural community without nearby clinics will face health risks long before they reach a doctor’s office. That is why progress on SDG 3 depends on prevention as much as on treatment.

It’s all connected. We are all connected.

SDG 3 asks a simple but demanding question: who gets the chance to live a long, healthy life? The answer depends on whether countries will treat health as a shared public good rather than a privilege.

Right now, the US treats good health as a privilege rather than a fundamental human right. That has to change.

What can creatives do about SDG #3? 

Enter the Protopian Prize. If SDG #3 resonates with you, use it as a focus for a story for the Democratic Futures Category! Tell a story about what happens when every human’s health and well-being becomes a priority for society. What steps would we take to make this a reality? What does good health look like in this reality? 

Write a Better Future. One in which every person’s health and wellness matters.