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,

The Journal of Climate Change and Health,
Volume 2,
2021,
100013

The goal of this review is to highlight the implications of climate change on the health of Karachi residents and actions which need to be undertaken for the betterment of future environmental policies.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) has helped to reduce global disaster risk, but there has been a lack of progress in disaster risk reduction (DRR) for people living in fragile and conflict affected contexts (FCAC). Given the mounting evidence that DRR cannot be implemented through conventional approaches in FCAC, serious efforts must be made to understand how to meet SFDRR's goals.
Elsevier,

Air Pollution, Climate, and Health, An Integrated Perspective on Their Interactions, 2021, Pages 3-12

Summarizes the documented health effects of climate change and air pollution, and the underlying linkage and interaction, as well as some issues that need to be addressed in future research and policy-making practice. Supports the SDG Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Elsevier, Pediatric Clinics of North America, Volume 68, April 2021
This article documents the increasing numbers of children impacted annually by 1 or more types of violence against children and describes the range of types of injuries and their immediate and long-term impacts on child outcomes. The article describes the growing number of international collaborations to decrease the numbers of children impacted by violence and to mitigate the consequences thereof, with a particular emphasis on children living in war zones.
Elsevier, Progress in Disaster Science, Volume 10, April 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered and intensified existing societal inequalities. People on the move and residents of urban slums and informal settlements are among some of the most affected groups in the Global South. Given the current living conditions of migrants, the WHO guidelines on how to prevent COVID-19 (such as handwashing, physical distancing and working from home) are challenging to nearly impossible in informal settlements.
" This Comment article supports SDG 3 and 10 by proposing that future studies exploring the link between racism and health inequalities are designed with more theoretically informed research questions, whose findings can more readily help tackle existing problems. Suggested areas for further research include the impact of neighourhood desegregation, increased racial diversity in labour markets, and reduced mass incarceration in diminishing racial health inequalities.
This Comment supports SDGs 3 and 10 by highlighting inequities in palliative care between racial groups, including differences in the use of palliative care services, symptom control, and the documentation and implementation of people's end of life wishes.
This Research paper supports SDGs 3 and 10 by assessing ethnic differences in SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among hospital workers. The findings showed that Black people had more than double the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity compared with White people, independent of age, sex, socioeconomic factors, and hospital role.
Earth Day is widely recognised as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behaviour and provoke policy changes. This day recognises and celebrates the Earth and its ecosystems as our home and highlights the need to protect earth to enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop the collapse of biodiversity. To raise awareness of Earth Day 2021, Elsevier presents a curated list of free access journal articles and book chapters in support of this year's theme - Restore our Earth.
This paper investigated the ways in which air pollution can be reduced through enhanced environmental sustainability by looking at groundwater, soil and stream sediment samples.

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