The Post-2015 Development Agenda was adopted in September 2015 by the United Nations, charting a new course for sustainable development with a very ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages is the overarching goal on health and where the HIV-related targets are placed. Target 3.3 “By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases” is the main guiding target for the Canadian and international HIV community for the next 15 years. An overarching theme of the SDGs is that our work can no longer be done in silos but that we must move forward in partnership and collaboration with diverse partners and funders in order to achieve our goals.
The HIV response is multifaceted and not exclusive to this goal. Given the number of underlying factors that impact vulnerability to HIV such as poverty, food security, education and gender equality, there are several other SDGs and targets that are relevant to ending AIDS by 2030 and that we must consider when reflecting on our response to the epidemic. Some of these goals are:
- Goal 1 : End poverty in all its forms
- Goal 2 : End hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
- Goal 3 : Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
- Goal 4 : Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
- Goal 5 : Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Goal 8 : Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
- Goal 10 : Reduce inequality within and among countries
- Goal 11 : Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
- Goal 16 : Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
- Goal 17 : Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
