Health and wellbeing

Health and well-being have a central role in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed by the United Nations, emphasizing the integral part they play in building a sustainable future. The third SDG explicitly calls for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. This goal encompasses a wide range of health objectives, from reducing maternal and child mortality rates, combatting disease epidemics, to improving mental health and well-being. But beyond SDG 3, health is intrinsically linked with almost all the other goals.

When addressing SDG 1, which aims to end poverty, one cannot neglect the social determinants of health. Economic hardship often translates into poor nutrition, inadequate housing, and limited access to health care, leading to a vicious cycle of poverty and poor health. Similarly, achieving SDG 2, ending hunger, also contributes to better health through adequate nutrition, essential for physical and mental development and the prevention of various diseases.

Conversely, the repercussions of climate change, encapsulated in SDG 13, profoundly impact health. Rising global temperatures can lead to increased spread of infectious diseases, compromised food and water supplies, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, all posing severe health risks. Conversely, the promotion of good health can also mitigate climate change through the reduction of carbon-intensive lifestyles and adoption of healthier, more sustainable behaviors.

SDG 5, advocating for gender equality, also has substantial health implications. Ensuring women's access to sexual and reproductive health services not only improves their health outcomes, but also contributes to societal and economic development. Furthermore, achieving SDG 4, quality education, is also critical for health promotion. Education fosters health literacy, empowering individuals to make informed health decisions, hence improving overall community health.

Lastly, SDG 17 underlines the importance of partnerships for achieving these goals. Multi-sector collaboration is vital to integrate health considerations into all policies and practices. Stakeholders from various sectors, including health, education, agriculture, finance, and urban planning, need to align their efforts in creating sustainable environments that foster health and well-being.

Hence, the relationship between health, well-being, and the SDGs is reciprocal. Improving health and well-being helps in achieving sustainable development, and vice versa. In this context, health and well-being are not just outcomes but are also powerful enablers of sustainable development. For the world to truly thrive, it must recognize and act upon these interconnections.

This chapter provides a systematic review of the current literature investigating COVID-19's impact on mental well-being, as well as studies that explore machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to detect and treat mental illnesses when traditional therapies are unavailable due to lockdown and social distancing norms imposed.
This Review supports SDGs 3 and 6, focusing on the complex ways that multiple factors interact during droughts to influence HIV treatment adherence. The authors suggest that economic and livelihood challenges resulting from food and water insecurity during droughts have the biggest impact on adherence.
The largest US cancer health disparity exists in prostate cancer, with Black men having more than a two-fold increased risk of dying from prostate cancer compared to all other races. Studies on biology and access to healthcare similarly highlight the need for increased representation of men from underserved racial groups, particularly Black men, in translational and clinical research to fully comprehend and appreciate the tumour heterogeneity.
The data presented in this study indicate air pollution (AP) induces an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-like phenotype of BEAS-2B cells in 3D spheroid cultures. This opens new avenues for drug development for the treatment of lung diseases induced by AP. The 3D spheroid cell culture is a novel, innovative and physiologically relevant model for culturing a variety of cells. It is a versatile tool for both high-throughput studies and for identifying molecular mechanisms involved in bronchial epithelial cell (patho)physiology.
A cohort study in Queensland, Australia, in the context of SDG 3 and 10, highlighting the need for culturally appropriate mental health and wellbeing services that meet the needs of Indigenous communities.
An Article on the vulnerability of Indigenous populations to pandemics, in the context of SDGs 3 and 10, focusing specifically on the clinical characteristics and outcomes following COVID-19 in Indigenous Brazilian individuals.
This Article supports SDG 3 by describing the prevalence of HBV infection among children who received hepatitis B vaccination at birth. Prevalence was lowest in those who received vaccination within 24 hours of birth, although there was still substantial risk of infection even with timely vaccination.
Background & Aims: HBV infects over 257 million people worldwide and is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Integration of HBV DNA into the host genome is likely a key driver of HCC oncogenesis. Here, we utilise targeted long-read sequencing to determine the structure of HBV DNA integrations as well as full isoform information of HBV mRNA with more accurate quantification than traditional next generation sequencing platforms. Methods: DNA and RNA were isolated from fresh frozen liver biopsies collected within the GS-US-174-0149 clinical trial.
Spatial resolution of the geographical information system-based model

Background: Increasing air conditioner use for cooling indoor spaces has the potential to be a primary driver of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moving indoor air with residential fans can raise the temperature threshold at which air conditioning needs to be turned on to maintain the thermal comfort of building occupants. We investigate whether fans can be used to reduce air conditioner use and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

This Special Issue highlights publicly available journal articles and book chapters focusing on various humanitarian issues related to the crisis in the Ukraine and other countries.

Pages