Area of study 2 - Health and the Sustainable Development Goals

This area of study looks at action for promoting health globally. It looks at the rationale, objectives and interdependencies of the UN’s SDGs, focusing on their promotion of health and wellbeing and human development. Students investigate the priorities and work of the WHO and evaluate Australia’s aid program and the role of non-government organisations, selecting one aid program for detailed research and analysis. They reflect on meaningful and achievable individual actions that could contribute to the work of national and international organisations that promote health and wellbeing.

Outcome 2

On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse relationships between the SDGs and their role in the promotion of health and human development, and evaluate the effectiveness of global aid programs. To achieve this outcome the student will draw on key knowledge and key skills outlined in Area of Study 2.

Key knowledge

• rationale and objectives of the UN’s SDGs
• key features of SDG 3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages’
• relationships between SDG 3 and SDGs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 13 that illustrate collaboration between the health sector and other sectors in working towards health-related goals • priorities and work of the WHO
• the purpose and characteristics of different types of aid including emergency, bilateral and multilateral
• features of Australia’s aid program including its priority areas and the types of partnerships involved
• the role of non-government organisations in promoting health and wellbeing, and human development
• features of effective aid programs that address the SDGs, and examples of effective implementation, with details of one such program including:
  • its purpose and the SDG/s addressed
  • details of implementation and the partnerships involved
  • contribution to promoting health and wellbeing, and human development
• ways in which individuals can engage with communities and/or national and international organisations to take social action that promotes health and wellbeing.

Key skills

• describe the objectives of the UN’s SDGs and justify their importance
• describe key features of SDG 3 and analyse its relationships with other SDGs in collaborative approaches to improving health and wellbeing, and human development globally
• explain the priorities and the work of the WHO and discuss how the WHO priorities are reflected in different scenarios
• describe and justify different types of aid
• explain and evaluate the role of non-government organisations in promoting health and wellbeing, and human development globally
• analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of aid programs in promoting health and wellbeing, and human development
• describe and justify ways of taking social action to promote health and wellbeing.