TST Issue briefs for 4th session of the Open Working Group (OWG)

The issues briefs have been posted on the OWG website including those on population dynamics and health. 

TST Issue Brief: Population dynamics

The TST Issue Brief: Population dynamics highlights the increasing divergence between countries in population trends. The least developed countries continue to have high population growth, while the developing countries that are more advanced in their demographic transition are experiencing rapid population ageing and even population decline in some instances. There is also a high rate of urbanization and complex migration patters at both international and internal levels.

The paper notes that population dynamics was the subject for one of the 11 thematic consultations on the post-2015 development agenda and sustainable development goals, putting forward two overarching messages, namely that demography matters for sustainable development; and demography is not destiny.

The brief addresses the linkages among human wellbeing, population dynamics and sustainable development as well as the imperative of human rights-based and gender responsive policies, such as the importance of promoting universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including family planning. It specifies four priority areas for action:

• Invest in human capital throughout the life course to realize the dividends of demographic transitions;
• Seize the developmental benefits of migration;
• Create liveable and sustainable cities for growing populations;
• Collect, analyze and use population data and projections for sustainable development.

It also suggests a number of ways for forward.

TST Issue Brief: Health and sustainable development

In its introduction the TST Issue Brief: Health and sustainable development emphasizes that the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states that “the enjoyment of the highest standards of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition”. 

Health, moreover is central to the three dimensions of sustainable development, both as a beneficiary and contributor and is important both as an end in itself and as an integral part of human wellbeing. At the same time ill health remains a cause and consequence of poverty in all countries and development policies and programmes can enhance or undermine both individual and population health.

The brief looks at lessons learned from the MDGs, emerging challenges and opportunities, namely Significant progress can be made on seemingly intractable health problems with political support, strategic investments and people-centered policies and programmes; Achieving equity, equality and eliminating discrimination in health requires strategic goal and target-setting and sound implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting systems. The unfinished health MDGs must remain health priorities in the post 2015 period; and Further progress in improving health and well-being will require reducing health inequities not only through health system strengthening and financial protection but also through integrated approaches for health and other SDGs.

Four major challenges have been identified:

• Major shifts in the age structures of countries;
• Need of all countries to develop capacities and to think creatively and innovatively to deliver health and wellness;
• New diseases; and
• Movement od populations to urban areas.

The lesson learned is that there are many opportunities for health and development that have not been explored. A better nexus between health and other possible SDGs such as on sustainable energy and transport, could address some of the key challenges, from NCDs to climate change. Health systems will need to be strengthened to respond to increasing expectations and shifting epidemiological, demographic, and a wide range of environmental and social risk factors. Health financing strategies are needed to ensure equal access for all, and to provide protection against catastrophic health expenditures by individuals and ruinous costs to national economies.

Furthermore, from the wide-ranging consultations on health that have taken place on the post-2015 development agenda consensus has emerged on the following principles for defining goals, targets and indicators:

• Universal relevance;
• Crosscutting attention to equity, equality and non-discrimination;
• Participation, accountability and access to information;
• Country specificity and global relevance;
• Synergies with other goals and with sustainable development goals overall;
• Sustainability; and 
• Human rights and gender equality.

Moreover, the brief states that sexual and reproductive health and rights should be addressed, and special attention paid to the needs of young people, including comprehensive sexuality education, as well as protection from sexual violence and abuse in the post-2015 health agenda.