Health and population

Health and population dynamics are intertwined, embodying an intricate relationship with significant implications on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Health is fundamentally at the center of these 17 global goals, aimed to transform the world by 2030. Specifically, Goal 3 endeavors to "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." It acknowledges that health is pivotal to human life quality, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Inextricably linked to this are the complexities of population dynamics, including growth rates, age structure, fertility and mortality rates, and migration patterns.

With the world's population projected to exceed 9.7 billion by 2050, the pressure on health systems will undoubtedly escalate. The demographic transition, with an aging population and an increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, poses new challenges for health systems globally. Additionally, areas with high fertility rates often overlap with extreme poverty, resulting in heightened health risks, including higher maternal and child mortality rates, malnutrition, and infectious diseases.

Moreover, rapid urbanization and migration present both opportunities and threats to health. While urban areas may provide better access to healthcare, they also harbor risks of disease transmission, air and water pollution, and social determinants of health like inadequate housing and social inequality. Simultaneously, migrants often face disproportionate health risks due to unstable living conditions, exploitation, and limited access to healthcare services.

Achieving the SDGs will necessitate comprehensive approaches that consider the intricate interplay of health and population dynamics. It means strengthening health systems, promoting universal health coverage, and addressing social determinants of health. It also implies crafting policies that recognize demographic realities and foster an environment conducive to sustainable development. Only by understanding and harnessing these dynamics can the world meaningfully progress towards realizing the SDGs, ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all.

Elsevier,

Rehabilitation Robots for Neurorehabilitation in High-, Low-, and Middle-Income Countries
Current Practice, Barriers, and Future Directions
2024, Pages 471-498

This content aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities by raising the general and ethical issues around access to rehabilitation robot technologies and discusses them in the context of inclusivity—a term that encompasses affordability and other common issues that may justify limiting or increasing use in low-resource settings in HICs and LMICs.
This Personal View supports SDGs 3 and 13 by calling for more research into the contribution that physical activity can have in adapting to rising global temperatures and, more broadly, to climate change.
Standard methodology to detect antimicrobiological resistance genes can help in monitroing and hopefully preventing antimicrobial resistance and improving health.
This Series paper supports SDGs 3 and 10 by summarising the state of knowledge on inequalities in care delivery and outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease in the UK
This Article supports SDG 3 by estimating the burden of rheumatoid arthritis. Finding include that the rate of years lived with disability due to rheumatoid arthritis increased by 13.8% from 1990 to 2020. The authors note that outcomes including severity of disability can be improved by early diagnosis and access to DMARD therapy.
Elsevier,

Clinician's Guide to Sexuality and Autism
A Guide to Sex Education for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2024, Pages 3-8

This content aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities by introducing sexuality education curriculum for learners of all ages with autism.
Elsevier,

Clinician's Guide to Sexuality and Autism
A Guide to Sex Education for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2024, Pages 9-16

This content aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities by outlining how to use the book to provide effective teaching in sexuality education with an emphasis on individualization for specific learners.
Elsevier,

Manson's Tropical Diseases (Twentyfourth Edition)
2024, Pages 139-151

This content aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing by presenting the current evidence for HIV/AIDS prevention.
Elsevier,

Manson's Tropical Diseases (Twentyfourth Edition)
2024, Pages 101-109

This content aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing as well as Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities by providing information about access to evidence-based treatment and prevention interventions as well as addressing the underlying social, political and economic issues, such as poverty, lack of access to healthcare, and stigma and discrimination that contribute to the high burden of HIV in the region
World Mental Health Day is celebrated on 10 October 2023. This year's theme is "Mental health is a universal human right". Elsevier is proud to share this freely accessible special collection of journal articles and book chapters in recognition of this important cause.

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