The Right to Health and its Role in Sustainable Development Goals

Good health is not just the absence of disease; it is the foundation on which every other aspect of development rests. A child who is too sick to attend school cannot learn. A mother who lacks access to maternal care cannot thrive economically. A community without clean water cannot escape the cycle of poverty. This is why the right to health has emerged as both a fundamental human right and a crucial benchmark for sustainable development. When the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, it placed health at the very heart of global progress through Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Good Health and Well-being. Understanding how these two ideas – the right to health and sustainable development – intersect is essential for anyone interested in public administration, policy, or social justice.

Understanding the right to health 🔗

The right to health is rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognises that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being. The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This broader definition captures the idea that health encompasses much more than medical treatment – it includes nutrition, housing, clean water, safe work environments, and mental wellness.

In India, the right to health is not explicitly listed as a fundamental right in Part III of the Constitution. However, through judicial interpretation, the Supreme Court has read the right to health into Article 21, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. The Court has consistently held that a meaningful life means more than mere animal existence – it must include dignity, decent living conditions, and access to healthcare.

Constitutional provisions supporting health 🔗

Several provisions in the Indian Constitution directly or indirectly strengthen the right to health. Article 39(E) directs the State to secure the health of workers, Article 42 addresses humane working conditions and maternity relief, while Article 47 places a duty on the State to raise nutrition levels and improve public health. The 11th and 12th Schedules of the Constitution also empower Panchayats and Municipalities to handle matters like clean drinking water, sanitation, hospitals, and primary healthcare – pushing responsibility for health down to the grassroots.

Landmark Supreme Court rulings have given these provisions practical teeth. In Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v. State of West Bengal, the Court ruled that failure of a government hospital to provide timely medical treatment violates a patient’s right to life. In Consumer Education and Research Centre v. Union of India, the Court held that the right to health and medical care to protect the health and vigour of a worker – both during service and after retirement – is a fundamental right under Article 21. Together, these judgements have transformed health from a mere policy aspiration into an enforceable constitutional entitlement.

SDG 3: Good health and well-being 🔗

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN member states in 2015, lays out 17 Sustainable Development Goals meant to guide global progress. SDG 3 specifically aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. It is built on 13 targets and 28 indicators that together paint a comprehensive picture of what good global health looks like.

Core targets of SDG 3 🔗

The targets under SDG 3 are ambitious and wide-ranging. By 2030, the world aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, end preventable deaths among newborns and children under five, and eradicate epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases. It also seeks to cut premature mortality from non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease by one-third through prevention and treatment, while strengthening mental health services.

Beyond disease, SDG 3 tackles broader systemic issues. It calls for universal health coverage, access to safe and affordable essential medicines and vaccines, reductions in deaths from road traffic accidents, and stronger health systems in developing countries. The goal also recognises that health emergencies – from pandemics to natural disasters – must be managed effectively, a lesson the world learnt painfully during COVID-19.

India’s progress and persistent gaps 🔗

India has made remarkable strides towards SDG 3. Flagship programmes like the National Health Mission and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana have expanded access to healthcare for millions. Near-universal immunisation coverage, declining maternal and child mortality rates, and improved access to basic services all point to real progress.

Yet the journey is far from over. India is still off-track on several SDG 3 indicators – the Maternal Mortality Ratio stands at 97 per 100,000 live births against a target of 70, while high out-of-pocket health expenditure continues to push families into poverty. Research shows that at the current average annual rate of change, India will not achieve its MMR targets without accelerating progress, and the same is true for neonatal and under-five mortality rates. Rural and tribal areas, in particular, continue to face critical shortages of infrastructure, personnel, and specialist care.

The interlinkages between SDG 3 and other goals 🔗

One of the most important insights of the 2030 Agenda is that no single goal can be achieved in isolation. Health is shaped by countless social, economic, and environmental factors, which means SDG 3 is deeply interlinked with nearly every other SDG. According to a UN Secretariat background note, health is about far more than the health sector, and integrated whole-of-society approaches are needed to shape and sustain healthy lives.

Health, poverty, and hunger 🔗

Poverty and ill health feed into each other. People living in poverty often face more barriers to accessing health services, adequate nutrition, decent housing, and safe working conditions. That is why SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) are so closely tied to SDG 3. Malnutrition weakens immune systems, stunts child development, and fuels diseases ranging from anaemia to chronic non-communicable illnesses. You simply cannot build a healthy nation on empty stomachs.

Gender equality and education 🔗

SDG 5 on gender equality directly affects health outcomes, especially regarding sexual and reproductive rights, maternal care, and protection from gender-based violence. Women who have control over their reproductive choices and equal access to healthcare raise healthier children and contribute more to their communities. Similarly, SDG 4 on quality education equips people with knowledge about healthy habits, hygiene, and appropriate use of health services – a small investment with enormous long-term returns.

Clean water, sanitation, and environment 🔗

Few things affect health as directly as water. SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation is explicitly linked to SDG 3 because unsafe water and poor sanitation drive water-borne diseases, while adequate hygiene dramatically reduces the global disease burden. Diarrhoeal diseases, cholera, and typhoid – all preventable – continue to claim lives where water systems fail. India’s massive investment in sanitation through the Swachh Bharat Mission illustrates how water and sanitation reforms can directly boost health outcomes.

Climate action under SDG 13 is equally critical. Air pollution, extreme heat, changing disease vectors, and climate-related disasters all take an enormous toll on human health. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified robust synergies between climate action and SDGs 3 (health), 7 (clean energy), 11 (cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption), and 14 (oceans). Clean air and a stable climate are, quite literally, prerequisites for healthy populations.

Decent work, inequality, and sustainable cities 🔗

SDG 8 on decent work matters because unsafe working conditions and economic insecurity take a direct toll on physical and mental health. SDG 10, which seeks to reduce inequalities, has direct implications for health equity – socioeconomic, geographic, and caste-based differences often determine who gets good healthcare and who doesn’t. SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities promotes urban planning that supports active transport, green spaces, and clean air, all of which prevent lifestyle diseases and boost mental well-being.

Why integrated action matters 🔗

The interlinkages between SDG 3 and the other goals are not a coincidence – they reflect the reality that human well-being is a complex, interconnected phenomenon. A ministry of health working alone cannot solve malnutrition. An education department alone cannot end preventable diseases. This is why the 2030 Agenda insists on integrated policy-making, where health considerations are built into transport, housing, agriculture, labour, and environmental policies.

For public administrators, this principle changes how programmes should be designed. Instead of siloed schemes, successful interventions now combine nutrition, education, water, sanitation, and healthcare in a single community-level package. Anganwadi centres, for instance, simultaneously deliver nutrition, early childhood education, immunisation, and maternal care – embodying the spirit of integrated SDG implementation.

The role of universal health coverage 🔗

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is the linchpin of SDG 3. It ensures that all people can access the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. In the Indian context, strengthening primary health care, expanding insurance schemes like Ayushman Bharat, and upgrading Health and Wellness Centres are critical levers. Integrating mental health and non-communicable disease screening at the primary level, along with deploying digital health tools such as telemedicine and electronic health records, can dramatically expand coverage to rural and underserved populations.

Challenges on the road to 2030 🔗

Despite progress, serious obstacles remain. India’s public health expenditure hovered around 1.29% of GDP in 2019-20, lower than most other countries, and the COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep vulnerabilities in the healthcare system. The High-Level Group on the health sector under the 15th Finance Commission has recommended declaring the right to health a fundamental right and shifting health from the State List to the Concurrent List – proposals that continue to be debated in the context of cooperative federalism.

Other challenges include a shortage of trained health workers, uneven quality of care between states, weak data systems, and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular illness, and mental health disorders. Climate change and emerging infectious diseases add fresh urgency to strengthening health emergency preparedness and the capacity of public health institutions.

The way forward 🔗

Achieving the right to health and SDG 3 requires more than policy pronouncements. It demands sustained public investment, stronger primary healthcare, community participation, and relentless focus on equity – making sure no one is left behind. It also requires truly integrated governance, where ministries work together and local governments are empowered with the resources and authority to deliver health as a right, not a favour.

A healthier population powers a more productive economy, a more equitable society, and a more resilient nation. When health is treated as both a right and a shared responsibility, every other developmental goal becomes more achievable. The journey towards 2030 is, in many ways, a journey towards realising this simple but transformative idea.

What do you think? Should the right to health be explicitly enshrined as a fundamental right in the Constitution, and would such a move meaningfully change healthcare delivery on the ground? Which interlinkage between SDG 3 and other SDGs do you think deserves the most urgent attention in the current policy landscape?

References

1. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
2. https://www.jsalaw.com/covid-19/right-to-health-as-a-fundamental-right-guaranteed-by-the-constitution-of-india/
3. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/declaring-the-right-to-health-a-fundamental-right
4. https://ijme.in/articles/the-fundamental-right-to-health-care/?galley=html
5. https://www.smsfoundation.org/what-are-indias-achievements-with-respect-to-sdg3/
6. https://houseofupsc.com/india-needs-focus-to-reach-sdg-3/
7. https://journal.hep.com.cn/ghes/EN/10.36922/ghes.2612
8. https://sdg.iisd.org/news/sdg-3-ensure-healthy-lives-and-promote-well-being-for-all-at-all-ages/
9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41545-020-0060-z
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals