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How Standards Drive Progress Toward SDG 3 - Health and Well-being for All

Promoting "health and well-being for all" is the focus of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, one of the 17 SDGs highlighted annually on World Standards Day. Celebrated every year on October 14, World Standards Day pays tribute to the many people whose hard work supports the development of international Standards, and highlights how Standards contribute to a safer and fairer world. In this blog, take a deep dive into how Standards contribute to achieving SDG 3.

Topics: World Standards Day

SDG 3 is highly relevant in light of global health challenges such as pandemics, childhood deaths, maternal mortality, road trauma, pollution, unequal access to health services and more. Every UN member state has a responsibility to work towards reducing these problems and improving health and wellbeing across the world.

The role of Standards in our daily lives

The role of Standards is to guide industries in achieving best practice, quality and consistency. Standards impact our everyday lives, often without us even being aware of it. They do so by helping make processes, products and systems safer and more dependable, sustainable and efficient, in turn producing better outcomes for industries, individuals and communities.

Standards contribute specifically towards better health and wellbeing in many ways. These include by improving the quality, effectiveness and reliability of health products and services, and by promoting safer and healthier indoor and outdoor environments.

Actions taken by organisations and industries to maximise quality and safety and prioritise wellbeing can lead to healthier, happier and more productive workplaces and communities.

Standards and the UN’s SDG 3

Here are some of the ways Standards contribute towards achieving SDG 3:

Medical devices – the regulation and Standardisation of medical devices helps ensure they are not only effective, but safe to use for healthcare workers and patients.
Pharmaceuticals – the regulation of drug treatments combined with Pharmaceutical Standards provides measures for determining the quality, effectiveness and purity of medicinal products.
Workplace Health and Safety – occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Standards promote health and safety in workplace environments of all kinds. For example, ISO 45001:2018 specifies requirements for an OH&S management system to reduce workplace risk of accidents. AS/NSZ ISO 45003:2021 addresses psychological health and safety at work through the management of psychosocial risks.

people in safety helmets and safety goggles pointing at the ceiling

Hospital Safety – Standards for hospital safety promote a healthier environment for workers and patients through improvements to infection control, OH&S and various other measures.
Nutrition and Food Safety – Food Safety Standards work towards ensuring a safe food supply, while national and international dietary guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations regarding foods to meet nutritional requirements.
Environmental Health – these Standards guide organisations in meeting their environmental obligations and performance. For example, ISO 14001: 2015 specifies requirements and guidance for the development of an environmental management system. BS 40102-1:2023 is a Code of Practice for the indoor environmental quality in non-domestic buildings.

The future of Standards: innovations and challenges

The world is changing fast. The Standardisation process needs to be agile in order to address challenges to health and wellbeing both now and in the future.

Emerging challenges, trends and innovations include:

Adapting Standards to new technologies – for example addressing threats to cybersecurity, data privacy and online safety.
Future health crises – the threat of future pandemics may lead to new or evolved Standards regarding the use of personal protective equipment and other measures, in order to reduce infection spread and prevent subsequent supply chain disruptions.
Sustainability and environmental health – organisations are under increasing pressure to improve their environmental performance, and Standards will need to keep pace to assist them in achieving this.
Global harmonisation – helping organisations meet regulatory requirements and navigate the complex world of international Standards.

Organisations and industries are encouraged to consider how Standards can improve their performance regarding health and wellbeing not only for today, but in light of the many changes that are happening in the world.

As we celebrate World Standards Day, it's important to highlight how Standards contribute to SDG 3, promoting health through industry regulation, enhancing occupational health and safety, and supporting environmental health and sustainability. Beyond SDG 3, Standards play a vital role in achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Let’s also reflect on what we can do as individuals and become an advocate for Standards within your organisation and community.