Global Health Blogs with Professor Swahn

3 REASONS WHY WE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SDGs

If you are here and you are wondering what SDGs mean and why we should  know more about them, don’t worry – you are not the only one. According to the Global Economic Forum 50% of responders in the United States have never heard of SDGs, while globally only three out of four adults interviewed had some awareness of them.

Basically, SDGs stand for Sustainable Development Goals, which are a set of 17 goals/targets developed by the United Nations General Assembly as part of a resolution they created in September 2015. The goals envision a world free of poverty, hunger and disease by 2030. All the countries in the world have agreed to work towards achieving these goals. 

A list of the 17 goals:

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10. Reducing Inequality
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life Below Water
15. Life On Land
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals

* There is also a short  Video you can watch

So, back to the reasons…

Reason number 1: They Involve us All

When you read through the list, I am sure you are putting a lot of check- marks and thinking that you have most of the things listed. You are probably even questioning yourself: how can this be a 2030 goal, while actually they look more like  basic needs you already enjoy. 

Well, the situation does not look that good all around the globe. For example: we are still fighting hunger where 821 million people are undernourished and 700 million are living in extreme poverty (Check the Hunger Map Here).

Furthermore, 3 billion people still lack cleaning cook fuels and technologies, and there are 70 million people who fled war, persecution and conflict in 2018. On the other hand, 1 in 3 women has experienced physical and/or emotional violence and 9 out of 10 urban residents breathe polluted air. 

So, the world as we know it, is not the world that is out there.

 But, the good news is: We all have a say on it. This is a mutual collaboration (leaders, businesses, civil society) and it requires global cooperation to achieve them.

They set a roadmap for us – we just need to follow the steps. 

Reason number 2:  There is Still so Much to be Done

It has been five years since the agreement was developed and we are now on the Decade of Action – we need to make them happen by 2030. The U.N. has published its last 2020 report, where they go through what has been achieved so far, but also how COVID-19 has impacted the goals. I will just mention some of the points which I thought were worth of sharing.

1. Goal 1: We were already off the track to end poverty by 2030, but COVID-19 made things worse. They estimate that an addition of 71 million people will be living in extreme poverty due to COVID-19.
2. Goal 2: There has been a rise in hunger and food insecurity. Small scale producers who were already disadvantaged, are now being hit hard by the pandemic. We also have an emerging problem arising in six Eastern African countries, where the desert locust appeared again.
3. Goal 3: All the advantages in health areas are now being put in danger by COVID-19. There is not only a surge of COVID-19 health related deaths, but also an increase in deaths from chronic conditions which are receiving less attention and are left untreated. The pandemic has interrupted vaccination programmes, and this is why illness and deaths from communicable disease are expected to rise.
4. Goal 8: We had a 0.5% GDP decrease from 2018 to 2019, and the decline is expected to be 4.2% in 2020. 
5. Goal 13: We had almost a new record set – 2019 was the second warmest year on record. And while climate change affected more than 39 million people in 2018, the global community has not yet committed to reverse the crisis we are experiencing.
6. Goal 15: Our forests continue to decline affecting 3.2 billion people and driving species to extinction.              

You can find the whole report Here (caution: be ready to emerge yourself on some heavy readings).

COVID-19 has changed forever the world as we knew it. Actions are now needed more than ever.  2020 was meant to be the biggest year ever, instead it was/is the year that has challenged us so much, bringing to the surface all the inequalities that we were trying to hide. 

“Everything we do during and after this crisis [COVID-19] must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change, and the many other global challenges we face. ” 

António Guterres

Secretary-General, United Nations

Reason number 3: There is actually Ways for You to Get Involved

So let’s make the subject a little bit more practical. There are real ways you can participate and give your contribution.

First of all, share this article with someone who still does not know anything about SDGs. You can then go on Twitter and tweet something about what you learned.

Secondly, are you from Atlanta? Good news! Check out The Future We Want campaign. It is a way to celebrate U.N. International Youth Day happening this September. You can create and submit a short video where you explain what sustainable development means to you, and what are your dreams for the future.

Thirdly, check what is happening in 2020 and How to Get Involved . You can sign up for Global Goals Week happening this September or watch The Pandemic is a Portal film to get a new perspective on how we can use this period to re-shape how we think about the future. And lastly join the #blacklivesmatter movement, or read about Youth Power Planet and all the work that youth are doing to make our planet more sustainable. 

Troka, Klea

September 2020

SDGs stands for “Sustainable Development Goals:” sustainable, meaning able to be maintained at and upheld to a certain level; development, referring to growth and advancement; and goals, referring to the achievements the effort aims to address. The SDGs were created in 2015 amongst 193 United Nation countries as a follow up to the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) [1]. They are “interdisciplinary and cross cutting” meaning all goals must be addressed together through a collaboration of citizens, community groups, academics, political leaders locally, and countries globally [1]. The 17 goals are simply defined by the image below:

Before discussing why the United States does not seem to have much focus or education aimed toward bringing awareness to these goals, let us examine how we are currently preforming towards achievement of the SDGs. The Sustainable Development Report of the United States 2018 analyzed data on each individual state’s possible success of reaching the goals by 2030, with levels of achievement defined as: major challenges remain, significant challenges remain, challenges remain, and making progress within range of goal achievement by 2030 [1].

Where do we show successes? Where do we show failures?

Though no state is on track to meet all goals by 2030, certain indicators have been met within individual states. The most successful achievement so far is Goal 6: to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” with 22 states ‘making progress within range of the goal achievement by 2030’ [1]. Overall, Massachusetts, Washington, and Vermont are preforming the best, while West Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana are progressing the worst [1]. The U.S. tends to show low performance on goals that highlight progress in marginalized groups, such as age, race, gender, poverty, religion, etc. [1]. Read into the report (linked above) to understand more in depth how the SDGs indicators compare across individual states.

We do not seem to be making much progress, so why are the SDGs not discussed more in the United States?

One issue in the United States is the sheer lack of awareness and knowledge of the SDGs. Some reports have shown that American youth seem to be most aware of the goals, but still do not know much about them, many having only heard the name before [2].  About 4 in 10 U.S. citizens are not aware of the SDGs at all, while no significant amount of people knows a great deal about them [2]. That being said, it does seem such knowledge is on the rise due to increased discussion within university systems and public health organizations.

Another major contributor is political leadership. Not only did the U.S. not make a public statement on the implementation of goals nor give a federal plan to achieve them, but also is the only G20 country that has not volunteered to report on SDGs progress [3, 4].

The U.S. government made this statement during the 2030 Agenda Talking Points: “At this time, we cannot express support for each specific goal or target of the Sustainable Development Goals. Each country has its own development priorities, and we continue to consider these in our policies,” giving off an air of arrogance and unwillingness to contribute to global achievement [5].

President Trump has worked to distance the U.S. from collaborative global institutions, such as withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council, the Paris Agreement, while also attempting to defund other similar agencies [3, 5]. Though there has been federal distancing from institutions that aim to achieve the SDGs, individual organizations and cities within the U.S. have continued to strive to meet them. Organizations including, but not limited to, USAID, Feeding America, and Churches, joined by New York City, Minneapolis, New Orleans, San Jose, and Santa Monica, have committed to achieving the SDGs by 2030 [6].

Due to the current political leadership, U.S. officials working in global health are forced “to walk a fine line” between political rhetoric and their involvement with global initiatives to reach the goals [5]. One example being USAID, which continues to support SDGs without actually using the term SDGs [5]. This lack of collaboration between different American stockholders is a huge contributor to the limited discussion of SDGs in the United States.

Why should we as Americans care, and how can we increase national involvement?

Since compared to less developed countries the U.S. is far ahead, there seems to be a sentiment amongst Americans that we do not need to care about these goals. G20 countries, such as the U.S., account for two thirds of the world population, three fourths of greenhouse gas emissions, and almost all of the global GDP, yet we are ranked at the bottom, behind Russia, on SDGs integration into institutions and policies [3]. These factors affect the entire globe, placing responsibility on the U.S. to improve global health and the global economy. The United States should care more about the SDGs for many other reasons, including its representation of American values: equity, human rights, environmental sustainability, opportunity for all, etc. [4]. American cities have always been leaders for addressing global issues, thus inspiring global action.

Another reason Americans should care more about the SDGs is the fact that global participation is necessary for SDGs success, and failure could affect us all:

“If all of the world’s people lived like people in the developed countries do, then we would need three or four different globes to support the demand in terms of natural resources. So, sustainability is the word for the whole world” [7].

Moving forward the country needs to increase our involvement in achieving the SDGs, or we could fall further behind, creating larger gaps between communities who are on track to achieve the goals and communities who are not. One initiative currently being implemented is the city of Atlanta’s “The Future We Want” project. This project aims to involve young people in the sustainable development goals by using video campaigns addressing “what sustainable development means to them, their social and political aspirations, and what they desire for their futures” [8]. Youth are the social leaders of the future yet are typically left out of such discussions. Increasing the conversation across age groups can improve awareness and activism to reach the goals in the future, both locally and globally. Using the SDGs framework we could improve opportunity, making the American Dream available to all citizens, thus we must take steps to emphasize the shared values and aspirations of global goals to the American people, encouraging stakeholders to develop appropriate plans [6].

This article addresses simple actions YOU can take as an American to help out, so get to it!

Citations:

1. Sachs, J. D., Lynch, A., LoPresti, A., & Fox, C. (2018). Ii Sustainable Development Report of the United States 2018 (Rep.). SDG USA and Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
2. What People Know and Think About the Sustainable Development Goals [PDF]. (2017, June). OECD Development Communication Network (DevCom).
3. Nelson, E. (2018, July 17). The US and Russia are doing the least to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://qz.com/1328895/un-sustainable-development-goals-the-us-and-russia-are-doing-the-least-among-g20-nations/
4. Pipa, A., & Brown, K. (2020, January 14). American leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/10/14/american-leadership-on-the-sustainable-development-goals/
5. Igoe, M. (2019, September 17). While China embraces the SDGs, the US government would rather not talk about them. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.devex.com/news/while-china-embraces-the-sdgs-the-us-government-would-rather-not-talk-about-them-95597
6. Woodside, C. (2016, May). The Sustainable Development Goals in the United States [PDF]. Washington, DC: Bread for the world institute.
7. Why should you care about the sustainable development goals? – United Nations Sustainable Development. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/09/why-should-you-care-about-the-sustainable-development-goals/
8. The Future We Want [Advertisement]. (2020, August 17). Retrieved from https://theglobeacademy.org/Post/Atlanta-Celebrates-U-N-International-Youth-Day-With-Voices-of-Youth-Future-We-Want-Video-Campaign
9. The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World – United Nations Sustainable Development. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/

Sustainable development goals are a list of 17 goals adopted by the United Nations and it’s 193 member countries. The SDGs provide a vision for a better and more sustainable future by 2030.

1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and well being
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
10. Reduced inequalities
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action
14. Life below water
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions
17. Partnership for the goals

 The goals are extremely relevant, primarily because, they aim to promote prosperity for everyone on this planet, especially the poor and the vulnerable sections of the community, secondarily because they hope to make the earth a better living space taking care of its precious natural resources which are rapidly moving towards extinction and most importantly because they require integrated efforts by all human beings. 

Engaging US youth in the development goals is extremely encouraging. I feel that schools and colleges are the primary centers of learning. Making SDGs a part of the curriculum and involving youth in the propagation of the SDGs is one of the best and fastest ways of sharing information. Most of the people in today’s day and age are active on social media, be it Twitter, or Instagram, or Facebook. The youth play the biggest part in sharing information via social media.

Youth, all over the world, are inspiring role models. One such person, Jaha Dukureh, a human rights activist, born and raised in The Gambia, was subjected to type 3 female genital mutilation when she was barely a week old. Entering an arranged marriage setup that been planned several years earlier, she moved to New York when she was hardly 15 years old. She continued to study and enrolled in a high school and later in a business administration program while battling an unsuccessful marriage, rejections from schools, and the consequences of FGM she endured years earlier. This incident led her to establish Safe Hands for Girls, an anti-FGM non-profit organization in 2013. Her efforts have led to the banning of FGM in The Gambia and have created a space for FGM survivors in Atlanta, the first of its kind in the whole United States of America. Women, just like her, have been subjected to injustice for centuries now. Her story gives hope to several such women out there. 

Having lived in Atlanta for over 2 years now has made me realize the number of problems that plaque Atlanta, starting from homeless, poverty, a lack of affordable housing, and racial injustice. According to the Creating Connected Communities, Atlanta has been named the 4^th neediest city in the US with homelessness and poverty majorly affecting the children. In spite of being known as the ‘Cradle of Civil rights movement’ and being the birth-place of Martin Luther King Jr, Atlanta has been battling racial injustice with the  Killing of Rayshard Brooks most recent incident. Additionally, what most of us would not know about is the scarcity of freshwater that Atlanta is facing and with drying up of lake Lanier will probably worsen over the years if not managed well.

The most surprising question, though, is that why have we never heard of the SDGs before? If not for the Global Health, I would have never had the opportunity to know more about these goals, which brings me to the next question. Even as public health students, if we weren’t aware of the sustainable development goals, how would we expect the rest of the world, especially those who are not remotely associated with public health, to know about these goals? I believe that it is particularly important that these goals be made a part of the curriculum. Most of us would not have witnessed any of these inequalities, be it inequality in education or jobs or living conditions. The video by Hans Rosling has made us aware of the appalling conditions that a large part of the population lives in. The survival of the community is only possible by bringing together everyone, making sure that everyone has access to the same basic rights, and that no one is left behind to fend for themselves. That is precisely what the goals target to achieve by 2030. To bring about a change requires that people be aware of sustainable development goals. That is where educating the community about these goals, and its relevance comes in, either through schools and universities or via social media, flyers, billboards, or simply word of mouth.

As an MPH student, we get to not only know the statistics but also understand the how and the why behind it. I feel that is the greatest power that public health student/worker has. We know what has caused this inequality and what will worsen it. Food donations, clothes donations, advocating for equal job opportunities or equal education opportunities or housing or for climate change, is definitely a step in the right direction. However, what is required is grassroots level changes. Combined efforts to improve the bottom of the pyramid, socio-economic status, is the call of the hour. As mentioned by Hans Rosling, there is an inequality in the financial aid provided to low income, middle income, and high-income countries. Addressing these inequalities will in turn ensure equitable job opportunities, education, and housing among many others. Similarly, there are places that do not have electricity yet and we have an abundance of it.

The irony here is that those who are a witness to inequalities do not have an opportunity to voice their concerns and those who have an opportunity to raise a voice are not aware of the same. Thus, it is very important to make people aware of the stark contrasts that the world currently faces. Spreading awareness about these inequalities and the SDGs is not a difficult task in the current day and age, considering that the entire world today runs on social media and the internet. These goals are a wake-up call, prompting people all over the world to take swift and calculated actions in the right direction. There is no time to waste and the world needs everyone to come together and make sincere efforts to fight for the survival of the world population.

References:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/partnerships/goodwill-ambassadors/jaha-dukureh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaha_Dukureh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Rayshard_Brooks

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” – Nelson Mandela

As an aspiring MPH (Epidemiology) student, this quote by Nelson Mandela inspires me and fills me with determination to not rest until we eradicate poverty, hunger, inequality, and injustice. Some of you may think I am “CRAAAZZY…” Well, I am not alone who wants to and is hoping to work for the “Future We(I) Want,” but the United Nations and its member States have adopted the Sustainable Development Goals as a part of their 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development.

What are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

The Sustainable Development Goals (adopted by 193 UN member states), are a set of universal targets, focusing on 17 areas for growth and development globally. The SDG’s aim at reducing poverty and strengthening economies while addressing social issues such as hunger, education, gender equality and health while battling climate change. The 17 goals are an elaborated version of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and goes as follows:

1. No Poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. Zero Hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Good Health and Well-Being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Quality Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable
12. Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Life Below Water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Life on Land: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Partnerships for the Goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Where are we with SDGs in 2020?

From the Sustainable Development Goal report of 2019, it is evident that since the inception of SDGs in 2015, extreme poverty has declined considerably but still at least 6% of the world’s population is estimated to live in extreme poverty by 2030. With the Covid-19 pandemic, these figures might more so over tend to rise then fall. The under 5 mortality rates have fallen by 49% between years 2000 and 2017. 186 countries have ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change and about 150 countries have developed national policies to respond to the challenges of rapid urbanization, and 71 countries and the European Union now have more than 300 policies and instruments supporting sustainable consumption and production. Even with such good progress, we are still experiencing deterioration of the natural environment, sea levels rising, ocean acidification, warm climates -all at an alarming rate.

We do not have enough time as only ten more years are left on hand to achieve the targets for SDGs. Some quick and prompt mobilizations are required at: 1) Global 2) Local and 3) People level as addressed by the UN-Secretary General. The 17 goals that are For People and For Planet should be adapted by everyone and everywhere so that

 “We can bring the change we wish to see” – Mahatma Gandhi

Today’s children and youth are the leaders of tomorrow. As a Public Health student, I believe that the children and youth of the nation should be encouraged to contribute towards SDGs at individual levels. Eventhough, these 17 goals seem unattainable or impossible to be combated at individual level, some simple changes in day-to-day life can help to bring major changes. Just like Greta Thunberg, youth can be thought leaders and holds the power to mobilize the resources and the nations. Some examples include Trisha Shetty (a 26-year old from India), who works for gender equality (Goal#5); Rita Kimani of Kenya, who helps unbanked and underserved smallholder farmers to allow them to sustain agricultural and economic growth (Goal#8); Rainier Mallol from Dominican Republic is a co-founder and president of an epidemiology company that has developed a tool using artificial intelligence, epidemiological expertise and data analytics to predict major disease outbreaks (Goal#3), and the list goes on.

What can be done as an Individual to contribute?

A few suggestions to contribute towards a better future and toward SDGs include use of recyclable commodities, reduce use of electricity or exhaustible energy sources. One should try to avoid waste of food and water. As an individual, try to walk, bicycle, or use public transport to reduce pollutants in air.

It was unfortunate that I got introduced to these SDGs recently. I had never heard of them before as many of my fellow MPH students. But let us not make the same mistake and deprive the children and youth of such important objectives that can help to bring the nations together where no one is left behind. Let us all work together to grow together!

“The Future I Want” is where no one is left without food, where no one is left poor, where everyone is treated equally, where everyone has clean water to drink and clean air to breath. This is the kind of “Future” I aim to raise my voice for and work for!

What about You?

If I have not convinced you enough to make some small changes and contribute towards SDGs, watch this amazing video by Hans Rosling.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by 193 countries in 2015, are goals that we must achieve by 2030. These goals focus on “leaving nobody behind”, and they are: 1) No poverty; 2) Zero hunger; 3) Good health & well-being; 4) Quality education; 5) Gender equality; 6) Clean water & sanitation; 7) Affordable & clean energy; 8) Decent work & economic growth; 9) Industry, innovation, & infrastructure; 10) Reduced inequalities; 11) Sustainable cities & communities; 12) Responsible consumption & production; 13) Climate action; 14) Life below water; 15) Life on land; 16) Peace, justice, & strong institutions; and 17) Partnerships for the goals.

I think the Future We Want Campaign is a great way to get students involved in changing the world to be a better place for everyone to live in. I love hearing stories about young adults already starting to make a difference by being part of achieving the goals set out by the United Nations – they are so inspired and so motivated to make the change for a better future and for a better environment. For example, Greta Thunberg, environmental activist, is only 17 years old, yet, she has been speaking out about climate change and has convinced people to adopt important life style changes that will help the environment. Greta is a thought leader, she has spoken to world leaders about addressing the climate crisis we are currently facing, which is goal #13.

Moreover, students have the potential to be thought leaders and have the drive to make an impact on the 17 goals. Young people want a better future for themselves and with determination and hard work, they can and will definitely achieve it! Other great examples of thought leaders are Eva Jones (16 years old) and Amariyanna Copeny (13 years old). Eva Jones advocates for gender equality and education (goals #4 & 5):

Amariyanna Copeny, or “Little Miss Flint”, another activist, has raised awareness about the water crisis occurring in Flint, Michigan. As many may be aware, Flint’s water supply comes from Flint River, which has been a waste disposal site for many industries – this water has made people very sick, and many have had to leave their homes due to the lead from pipes that enter the water supply. This all started in 2014, and Mari Copeny has drawn attention to the crisis in her hometown, which would be in hopes to achieve goal #6.

As an MPH student, it is troubling to know that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are not covered in our courses, and that most of us have never heard of them. I believe that we should all at least know what the goals are and know how they are measured because this is an important step taken in public/global health. After reading the 17 goals and reading about different people and organizations helping to achieve those goals, I felt some sense of relief knowing that many people are doing the best they can and helping in any way possible. However, the story that really stuck with me was from Felisa Hilbert (goal #3) and her advocacy for vaccines.

Felisa was born in Mexico and was trained as a registered nurse because she has been very passionate about global health and preventive medicine. My parents were also born in Mexico and even though they grew up in extreme poverty, they made the choice of moving to the United States. They did what the doctors suggested and vaccinated my sister and I, and they were always up-to-date with our vaccines. People that grow up with access to vaccines still do not vaccinate their children because they are against them. I know some of these people, and even though they are vaccinated, they refuse to do the same for their children. Reading Felisa’s story and how she had to witness a child dying due to lack of vaccinations was really sad, especially because that disease was preventable through vaccinations.

In addition, I was born in Atlanta and I’ve been living here all my life. Personally, I believe most of the goals are relevant in Atlanta. For example, there is so much homelessness in Downtown Atlanta, a lot of people who are living in poverty, a lot of people experiencing hunger, a lot of people fighting and protesting for equality, a lot of people hoping for decent work and for a better economy, many people are suffering with their health and their well-being, and many are also protesting for justice and race inequalities.

There is just so much to change, and living in Atlanta has made me aware of all the issues. I’ve witnessed people dealing with horrible things and inequalities that you wish you can help, but one person can’t change the world. However, one person can start making a difference.

Furthermore, being a student at Georgia State University lets you see how bad things are in Atlanta. You can help as many people as you can by giving them food, money, etc. but that help, although very generous, is only temporary. People need long-term and continuous help. It really is time for everyone to come together to fight for a better world to live in, to fight for a better world for the future generations. As public health students, we need to learn more and be more involved in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, not just for Atlanta or Georgia or the United States, but for the entire population. The purpose of public and global health is to continue bringing awareness about these goals and these issues so that no one gets left behind.