Major Group: NGOs
NGO Major Group Health Cluster Talking Points - Final for OWG 4
17 June 2013
¡ñ Achieving the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is a basic
human right.
¡ñ Equity, human rights, and sustainability must be at the heart of the future
development agenda. Good health cannot occur in the absence of a framework that
reflects these core values.
¡ñ Health is as ¡°a precondition for, an outcome of, and indicator of all three
dimensions of sustainable development,¡±[1] and must be central to the discussions
of the OWG, the proposed sustainable development goals, and the overall post-2015
development framework.
¡ñ An overarching, universal health goal that goes beyond disease-specific, vertical
approaches to health will enable governments to address pressing health challenges
according to national priorities and allocate resources for health as appropriate.
¡ñ SDGs, targets and indicators should be forward looking, based on projected
changes in population size, location, and age structures, all of which influence demand
for and supply of key resources and services, including health services. Healthsensitive
indicators across all sustainable development dimensions will help drive
and measure progress and mitigate any unintended adverse health consequences
of development policies.
¡ñ Momentum on achieving the health-related MDGs must not be lost. SDG targets
should accelerate progress on the health-related MDGs, and enable the achievement of
universal health coverage and access to the continuum of health services, including
universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning.
The full implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on
Population and Development should also be accelerated.
¡ñ Urgent health and sustainable development challenges, including noncommunicable
diseases (NCDs) and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), must be
equally accounted for in the work of the OWG, proposed SDGs, and post-2015
framework. Attention must be paid to reducing exposure to the main NCD risk factorstobacco,
unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol, and physical inactivity.
¡ñ Many sustainable development priorities are directly linked to health. Population
growth rates, migration, urbanization, increased population densities and unhealthy
conditions in urban slums affect the spread of disease, including TB, malaria and
HIV/AIDS.
¡ñ Rapid changes in global populations- an increasingly ageing society in some
countries and a large youth and growing population in others ¨C must be
accounted for in the SDG framework and in designing the social protection
mechanisms that will facilitate overall sustainable human development.
¡ñ Data for indicators must be disaggregated by gender, age, location (including
rural/urban), people living with disabilities, educational background and economic
quintile, and relevant social groups, in order to ensure a framework that reaches the
poorest and most vulnerable populations.
¡ñ Intellectual property and technology transfer are important health issues. Health
equity in modern medicine is impossible without fair access to essential and qualityassured
medicines and technologies. The current incentive structures in pharmaceutical
research and development do not encourage innovation to address the needs of low and
middle income countries.
[1] The Future We Want, para 138
17 June 2013
¡ñ Achieving the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is a basic
human right.
¡ñ Equity, human rights, and sustainability must be at the heart of the future
development agenda. Good health cannot occur in the absence of a framework that
reflects these core values.
¡ñ Health is as ¡°a precondition for, an outcome of, and indicator of all three
dimensions of sustainable development,¡±[1] and must be central to the discussions
of the OWG, the proposed sustainable development goals, and the overall post-2015
development framework.
¡ñ An overarching, universal health goal that goes beyond disease-specific, vertical
approaches to health will enable governments to address pressing health challenges
according to national priorities and allocate resources for health as appropriate.
¡ñ SDGs, targets and indicators should be forward looking, based on projected
changes in population size, location, and age structures, all of which influence demand
for and supply of key resources and services, including health services. Healthsensitive
indicators across all sustainable development dimensions will help drive
and measure progress and mitigate any unintended adverse health consequences
of development policies.
¡ñ Momentum on achieving the health-related MDGs must not be lost. SDG targets
should accelerate progress on the health-related MDGs, and enable the achievement of
universal health coverage and access to the continuum of health services, including
universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning.
The full implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on
Population and Development should also be accelerated.
¡ñ Urgent health and sustainable development challenges, including noncommunicable
diseases (NCDs) and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), must be
equally accounted for in the work of the OWG, proposed SDGs, and post-2015
framework. Attention must be paid to reducing exposure to the main NCD risk factorstobacco,
unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol, and physical inactivity.
¡ñ Many sustainable development priorities are directly linked to health. Population
growth rates, migration, urbanization, increased population densities and unhealthy
conditions in urban slums affect the spread of disease, including TB, malaria and
HIV/AIDS.
¡ñ Rapid changes in global populations- an increasingly ageing society in some
countries and a large youth and growing population in others ¨C must be
accounted for in the SDG framework and in designing the social protection
mechanisms that will facilitate overall sustainable human development.
¡ñ Data for indicators must be disaggregated by gender, age, location (including
rural/urban), people living with disabilities, educational background and economic
quintile, and relevant social groups, in order to ensure a framework that reaches the
poorest and most vulnerable populations.
¡ñ Intellectual property and technology transfer are important health issues. Health
equity in modern medicine is impossible without fair access to essential and qualityassured
medicines and technologies. The current incentive structures in pharmaceutical
research and development do not encourage innovation to address the needs of low and
middle income countries.
[1] The Future We Want, para 138