Contributing to implementing the SDGs

On September 24th in New York, one day before the UN Sustainable Development Summit the Global Health Academy organised a high level dialogue on the challenges and opportunities to delivering SDG#3, and the way in which this Goal requires governmental agencies, business, organisations, universities and other actors to contribute together in new ways.

Sustainable Development Goal #3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” is co-dependent on all the other 16 sustainable development goals.

Appropriately enough this meeting took place at the Carnegie Corporation, founded by Andrew Carnegie, from Dunfermline, in 1911 'to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding'.

The President of the Carnegie Corperation Dr Vartan Gregorian came into the meeting to bring the greetings of the Corporation. He spoke of the role that Andrew Carnegie played in shaping world history by identifying needs, setting plans in actions and by giving generously.

Among a host of gifts Carnegie made it was that of making knowledge accessible through his generous endowments to public libraries which the President highlighted. Universities have a special place in sharing knowledge and knowledge translated into action is essential for achieving SDG3

Dr Gregorian's message was clear - in today's world of inequalities there needs to be a renewed energy in redistribution of the knowledge, tools, skills and resources that can enable people to live better.