How the AHI HPS model contributes to the achievement of seven of the 17 SDGs?
In September 2015, the United Nation (UN) General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs>).
The UN has acknowledged that achieving the SDGs requires the partnership of governments, private sector, civil society and citizens alike. UN SDG 17 states “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.” It recognises multi-stakeholder partnerships as important vehicles for mobilising and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, particularly developing countries. Goal 17 further seeks to encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. Affordable Health Initiative (AHI) Health Promoting School (HPS) model contributes directly or indirectly to the achievement of seven of the 17 intertwined SDGs through a network of Communities, Schools, Universities and the work of volunteer educators and health professionals across the globe in partnership with local Governments and other charities, and the financial support of the industry.
Goal 1: No poverty
By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.
AHI mission is to promotes good health and quality education in low-income communities, which are the fundamental approaches to tackle poverty. Health, education and income are strongly interconnected. In early life, healthier children achieve better results at school. Later in life, poor health and low education are associated with lack of job opportunities and lower income. Having sufficient income enables adoption of a healthy lifestyle, leading to good health, which in turn increase work productivity. Furthermore, low income and fewer resources force people to live in socially deprived neighbourhoods. These neighbourhoods are often economically marginalised and characterised by lack of safe drinking water, lack of sanitation, fewer high-quality schools, less access to sources of healthy food with an oversupply of fast food restaurants and outlets that promote unhealthy foods. Furthermore, they are more prone to environmental hazards such as higher levels of toxins, air and water pollution, hazardous waste, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. All together these factors perpetuate poverty throughout generations.
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
AHI HPS model includes distribution of healthy food to families of the school children enrolled in the initiative.
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.
Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate
Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all.
All four major interventions in the AHI HPS model contribute to good health and well-being. They are education, health promotion, health care and community involvement activities.
Goal 4: Quality Education
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable
AHI HPS model educates school children and their families to flourish in life; higher school achievements; better health; better capacity for work; wellbeing throughout the life course. The AHI HPS model understands education in a broader way rather than is traditionally the case. The AHI HPS model provides support for the intellectual and emotional development. The former includes attention, perception, memory, language, learning, and higher reasoning. The latter includes decision-making and problem-solving, creative and critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy, assertiveness and self-control, and resilience and coping with emotions and stress. For these purposes AHI coaches take on the role of a leader who helps the schoolchildren to set goals in their walk life course. Developing the attributes listed above improves schoolchildren’s health and social behaviour (e.g.: caring for oneself and others, trust, attachment, tolerance of others, reciprocity), social capital (e.g.: family ties, friends/friendship ties, and social networks) promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development. AHI coaches are there to guide, motivate, encourage in addition to teach. The main goal is to empower schoolchildren with enough cognitive processes and life skills that they are eventually confident enough to take control over their life circumstances. Furthermore, by promoting good health among schoolchildren AHI HPS model reduces school absenteeism and increases school achievement.
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
AHI includes the UNICEF Wash, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools, which is a well stablished health initiative designed to improve water and sanitation management as well as personal hygiene.
Goal 10: Reduce Inequalities
By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
AHI reduces social inequalities in health by addressing the challenging ‘inverse care law’ proposed thirty years ago - those who most need medical care are least likely to receive it. In addition, AHI addresses challenges highly prevalent in socially deprived populations and much less prevalent in affluent communities. Furthermore, AHI provides low-income communities with the social, emotional and physical tools for children in low-income communities to have a good start in life.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
AHI component healthy food distribution addresses food waste. Food distribution is delivered in collaboration with existing approaches, for example as adopted by members of the Global Foodbank Network (GFN). Food banking systems consist of capturing surplus food of which would otherwise be wasted, from farms, manufacturers, distributors, retail stores, consumers, and other sources, and deliver it to those in need through an established network of community agencies engaging all sectors of society in the process. This action significantly reduces food waste and their harmful environmental impact.