Discussion post 1
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has impacted all our lives.
What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the SDG 2030 Agenda?
Discuss two of the currently proposed responses to address the COVID-19 crisis from a global perspective.
The United Nations has created a campaign called the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda to overcome disparities across the globe. The 2030 Agenda plans to meet sustainable goals such as ending poverty and world hunger and promoting good health and economic growth (United Nations, n.d.). The outbreak of COVID-19 has reversed the progress made by the 2030 agenda, and most goals will not be achieved (United Nations, n.d.).
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, 124 million people have been facing extreme poverty. Extreme poverty leads to increased world hunger due to less accessible food. Increased world hunger has caused malnutrition and nutrition deficit illness rates to rise (United Nations, n.d.). Due to financial burdens and fear, the global population isn’t receiving essential healthcare services. Pre-pandemic 8.7% of the U.S population abused illicit drugs or prescribed medication (Graham & Ritter, 2017). Since the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid drug overdoses have reached their highest record (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Life expectancy has decreased due to increased rates of poverty, world hunger, and substance abuse that rose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) responds to the global crisis of COVID-19 by publishing current policies in place to benefit health, social, and economic disasters. The World Health Organization believes an essential way to gather data and limit transmission of COVID-19 is frequent testing, tracing, and community lockdowns. Individuals exposed to COVID-19 should be tested and isolated if infected (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2020). Unessential businesses were forced to shut down, restaurants were only allowed to sell takeout, and so forth.
Global attempts to aid the crises of COVID-19 are being implemented, but progress is not being made. Countries around the globe took action to prevent their local economies from drowning during community lockdowns. Non-repayable financial support was dispensed, tax reliefs were implemented, and loan payments were deferred (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2020). For example, in the United States, the Coronavirus Aids, Relief, and Economic Security act consisted of a two-trillion dollar effort to create grant programs for small businesses, increase unemployment payouts, stimulus checks, etc. However, the U.S is now facing more debt, decreased value of U.S. currency, and inflation.
Discussion post 2
Were the Millennium Development Goals achieved or not? Provide specific examples.
What was the importance/impact of the MDGs on the international community and healthcare?
The eight Millennium Development Goals
to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger;
to achieve global primary education;
to empower women and promote gender equality;
to reduce child mortality;
to promote maternal health;
to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases;
to promote environmental sustainability; and
to develop a universal partnership for development.
Although the percentage of people that are undernourished dropped by about 50% since 1990 there are still 870 million people who are still undernourished. 50% drop does prove that the goal has been met but we still need to do better because millions of people are undernourished worldwide about one in every eight people. According to United Nations Millennium Development Goals, “with young people bearing the brunt of the crisis. The number of unemployed people has increased by 28 million since 2007 (United Nations Millennium Development Goals). Even with the number of undernourished people decreasing these numbers are not acceptable either.
As for goal six, Fight malaria HIV / AIDS This was also deemed a success with a 40% decrease in new HIV infections.
What can’t be tracked is whether or not the decreased occurred because of treatment or teaching. In the 1990s not much was known about HIV Search and treatments were still being made and not for the most part yet approved by the FDA. According to MDG , “A massive increase in the number of people living with HIV receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) globally, from 800,000 in 2003 to 13.6 million in 2014. ART have helped avoid over 7.6 million deaths from AIDS between 1995 and 2013” (MDGs 2017).
MDGs. Millennium Development Goals. (2017, October 31). Retrieved from https://www.mdgmonitor.org/millennium-development-goals/
United Nations. (n.d.). United Nations Millennium Development Goals. United Nations. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml
