Sustainable Development Goal Samples for Students-Myassignment

Question: Write an Essay on Sustainable Development Goal. Answer: Maternal mortality rate (MMR) is an important health issue and one of the measures of womens health. It is an indicative of a countrys healthcare system functioning and performance. Several international conferences have tried to include the goal of reduction of the maternal mortality rate across the world. However, the monitoring of the progress is difficult in this context and plans for the development. It is difficult in developing countries like Middle East and North Africa where there is weak healthcare systems and poor health information (Kassebaum et al., 2014). Maternal mortality rate in Middle East and North Africa has declined significantly from 1990 to 2015. It has declined by around two-thirds over the years. The country is working towards the achievement of the target 1 of sustainable development goal (SDG) 3 to reduce the maternal mortality rate ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. The MMR rate per 100, 000 live births has halved since 1990 to 2015 from 166 to 81 and the proportion of mothers who die during childbirth have reduced significantly (Wang et al., 2014). There is improvement of women reproductive health that not only provides benefit to the family and the children, but, also helps in the progress of the countrys economic and social development. Therefore, in this essay, I will demonstrate that Middle East and North Africa is likely to achieve a reduction in maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100,000 live births because the MMR have significantly decreased from 166 to 81 from 1990 to 2015. Under the SDG 3 Good Health and Well Being, the challenge is to ensure health lives and works to promote the well-being among all the people at all ages. Its main aim is to increase the life expectancy and reduce the common health issues that are associated with the maternal mortality rate and child (Ordunez Campbell, 2016). Poor health status constitutes the deprivation and suffering that have a detrimental effect on the well-being of the people. Under the Goal 3.1 of SDG, the United Nations target to tackle health inequality formed on an international health agenda. Under this goal of 3.1, it is aimed at reducing the maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030 globally. Globally, the MMR has significantly declined to 2.3 % between the years 1990 to 2015 (Kuruvilla et al., 2016). This statistics pave a way to possibility to accelerate the reduction of MMR and eventually, the countries are working towards a new target to reduce the MMR even further. Women in developing countries have a lifetime death risk due to pregnancy that leads to death due to severe complications like bleeding and infections after childbirth, delivery complications and unsafe abortion. The women who give birth below the age of 15 are likely to face childbirth related complications and are at a greater risk of death from the pregnancy. Though the health care facilities have improved in Middle East and North Africa, the percentage of skilled attendants due the delivery is less and poor access to health treatments for the life-threatening conditions that occur during pregnancy. However, MMR have reduced more than 90%, still, there is more scope for development and progress towards this goal. Arguably, according to Say et al., (2014) Middle East and North Africa have made impressive progress; however, the progress is slow in reducing the MMR and in the achievement of the target. Therefore, through the Goal 3, Middle East and North Africa and international comm unity, SDG have committed to make the global effort to strengthen the healthcare system, treatment facilities, eradicate disease and address the major health issues. It also calls to reduce the MMR rates to below 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030 by putting an end to preventable deaths of the newborns and mothers (Murray et al., 2014). Middle East and North Africa (MENA) had undergone many historical changes that led to the high MMR in the country. The economic issues and bombarding population in the past have led to the increase in the MMR in the current scenario. The country suffered an economic crisis in the past thirty years. Despite of undertaking of many economic reforms by the country, there is weak performance in terms of growth that links to the poor healthcare systems, employment generation and global economy to ensure health equity among the public (Ncube, Anyanwu Hausken, 2014). Historically, the country was greatly dependent on the oil wealth and then during the year 1970, MENA region failed to generate sustained and high growth rate and unable to reap the benefits of world economic integration and globalization. Moreover, the country suffered high record of unemployment that led to the decrease in the working population in the labour force. However, the country was successful in stabilizing the macro economy in the country. In addition, due to economic instability, there is a low level of gynaecological and obstetric expenditure that provides high quality healthcare facilities to the mothers (Pfstl Kymlicka, 2015). Another issue is the bombarding of the population, although there is decrease in fertility rates over the years since 1990. The economic dependency and demographic challenge leads to a large number of uneducated, unhealthy and unabsorbed people in the labour market. The country is also suffering brain drain and that have large implications on the ratio of economically inactive to active population and low level of women participation (Karam Afiouni, 2014). This leads to decrease in skilled healthcare workers required for providing proper treatment to the mothers and newborns during pregnancy. However, the country is working towards the reduction of MMR that has significantly decreased to 166 to 81 from 1990 to 2015. There are cultural factors that also led to the increase in the MMR. There is a lot of gender inequality in terms of low female literacy linked to maternal mortality rates. However, the country has made progress to reduce the gender gap between the girls and boys in the human development. The men are more likely to attend university and perceive education as compared to women in the country. The young women are vulnerable to unemployment and education and so they are prone to early marriages. The early marriage in the girls before the age of 15 years drastically affect the health and make them susceptible to pregnancy related complications and deaths contributing to an increase in MMRs (Al-Akra, Abdel-Qader Billah, 2016). The health problems prior to pregnancy and obstetric complications pose an implication on the decision-making of the people with respect to preservation of well-being among the women. Literacy is important among the women to address the pregnancy related complicati ons and yield a sustainable reduction in maternal mortality rates (Guazzone, 2016). Peoples attitude towards biomedicine has not yet developed to significant figures. The people of MENA region have a different understanding of the diseases and their causes that affect the healthcare system of the country. There is complexity in the society that is leading to the understanding of the people towards their health. The biomedicine and care is greatly influenced by culture in MENA region and require extensive out-reach to the people through enlightment and communication to reduce the burden of diseases and MMRs (Siddiqi et al., 2016). The structural and behavioural factors like the improvement in medical care, successful family planning, nutrition and changes in the attitude related to fertility rates are some of the factors that influence the quality of life and longevity of the women showing high MMRs. There is unequal access to healthcare facilities in terms of obstetrics and gynaecological facilities. The maternal nutrition during pregnancy determines the health of the mother prior to delivery (Hennekam, Tahssain?Gay Syed, 2017). The successful family planning has also direct implication on the health of the women as early marriage give rise to serious health complications during pregnancy leading to increase in MMR (Gatti et al., 2014). The above discussion shows that there was a high prevalence of increased MMR in the MENA region, however, the country is significantly trying to achieve the SDG Goal 3 to reduce the MMR to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Although, the country has faced many historical, cultural and structural factors that have led to the increase in the MMR in the country, it is significantly working towards the achievement of the SDG Goal 3 to reduce the MMR by 2030 by 70 per 100,000 live births. Social model of health provides a holistic and distinctive definition and understanding of the health that would work beyond the limitations that is related to medical health model. In this model, health is realised from a broader perspective of human experiences and social structures that provides implications fro professional practice (Greene, 2015). The key principles for professional practice would involve addressing of broader social determinants, reduction of social inequalities, empowerment of community and individuals, equal access to healthcare achieved through collaboration (Bircher Kuruvilla, 2014)). To get better birth outcomes and reduction in MMRs, MENA region has adopted a unique intervention is the economic inclusion and gender equality. There have also increased the quality of healthcare with increase in community building that provides the best quality of care in obstetrics and gynaecology in pregnancy complications (Liu et al., 2015). This intervention shows that the country is progressing towards the achievement of SDG goal 3 target of reducing the MMRs to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. The recommendations include the empowerment of the women through education, reduction of the gender inequality in employment and in providing the quality healthcare facilities in obstetrics and gynaecology departments (de Bernis et al., 2016). The country should also work towards economic growth, public spending on health, maternal nutrition and education. The interventions involving behavioural change and providing them information about pregnancy, related risk and arranging of skilled doctors and birth attendants during the labour and delivery (Souza et al., 2013). The prenatal counselling, nutritional interventions and skilled attendance at birth have would help the country to achieve its SDG Goal 3 (Soubeiga et al., 2014). If MENA region works towards the implementation of these successful interventions, it can achieve its goal of SDG and can improve the health of the country. References Al-Akra, M., Abdel-Qader, W., Billah, M. (2016). Internal auditing in the Middle East and North Africa: A literature review.Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation,26, 13-27. Bircher, J., Kuruvilla, S. (2014). Defining health by addressing individual, social, and environmental determinants: New opportunities for health care and public health.Journal of public health policy,35(3), 363-386. de Bernis, L., Kinney, M. 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