Goal #3
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
UNSW is committed to this goal and demonstrates its commitment through:
- Multi-disciplinary health research that contributes to improving good health and wellbeing globally, accelerating world class health education
- Wellbeing Strategy and Plan for students and staff, providing access to health, optometry, dentistry and exercise physiology clinics
- Demonstrated leadership in solving this century's biggest health challenges and moving health care into the future
Healthcare for all requires equity
COVID-19 has forced all of us to examine our global world and the central importance of health for our social, educational and economic security. The pandemic starkly highlights that threats to health are not experienced equally by all. It has magnified existing inequalities, compromised the progress we had made towards the SDGs and undermined access to health care for many. To promote wellbeing for all we must understand what determines a person's or community's experience of health and provide the supports and resources necessary to overcome the factors that undermine health and enhance those that are health promoting.
SDGs x Stress Less Week 2023
UNSW students were treated to some well deserved fun and relaxation at Stress Less Week in 2023, all while learning more about the SDGs.
Stress Less Week encourages students to prioritise mental health and wellbeing, and is a week of activities, workshops and freebies each term.
Village Green upgrade
The Village Green is available to students, staff and the UNSW community for sports and leisure. It includes a multi-purpose synthetic pitch and caters for a broad range of sports, as well as all aspects of wellness including recreational sport, social interactions, fitness and contemplation.
SEXtember 2022
SEXtember is UNSW Sydney's annual sex-positive festival designed to empower our community to create safe, healthy and thriving relationships.
David Cooper Lecture | Julia Gillard in conversation with Tegan Taylor
COVID-19 has posed particular challenges for women, and had significant impacts on mental health. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard joined journalist Tegan Taylor for an evening of conversation exploring how to leverage science and make advances in health available to everyone.
UNSW Precincts
Large-scale Health and Innovation Precincts are under development with diverse multi-sector partners, to advance UNSW’s strategic and industry engagement aspirations.
Visitors & the community
At UNSW, we are committed to the health of students, staff and the wider community and offer a range of free and affordable services including optometry and psychology.
Mental health support for students & staff
The UNSW Health Service provides mental health support to students and staff. Students have access to confidential counselling services through Mental Health Connect, the Mind Hub provides a central place to access resources, and UNSW's Employee Assistance Program is available to all staff and their immediate family members.
The Good Food Charter
The Good Food Charter supports the UNSW community of students, staff, retailers and catering services to select healthier food and drink options.
It has been developed by the UNSW Health Promotions Unit, UNSW Wellbeing, The George Institute for Global Health, Estate Management and Arc Student Life.
RNA Institute
A first-of-its-kind RNA pilot manufacturing facility to translate mRNA and RNA research into home-grown therapeutics and vaccines will be built in NSW following a $96 million investment from the state government. The facility will be established in partnership with NSW and ACT universities through the NSW RNA Bioscience Alliance, led by UNSW Sydney Professor Pall Thordarson.
Ageing Futures Institute
Population ageing is one of humanity’s most pressing challenges. The UNSW Ageing Futures Institute will conduct research and translate it into policy and practical outcomes, to enable optimal ageing for individuals and society.
Cellular Genomics Futures Institute
Cellular Genomics is the next great revolution in medicine. The UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute will invent technologies to decode individual cell DNA, chromatin, RNA, and protein outputs that will be used for precise diagnosis and precision treatment of human disease.
The Kirby Institute
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the highest burden of HIV in the Pacific region. Researchers in the country have in recent years honed efforts to better understand the epidemic in order to develop and implement appropriate education, testing and treatment initiatives for their communities. But a rise in drug resistance in the region has proven particularly problematic for those currently on or about to commence HIV treatment.
Led by the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney and the PNG Institute of Medical Research, researchers will unite to improve HIV viral load testing and detection of drug resistance in Papua New Guinea.
The Lifestyle Clinic
The Lifestyle Clinic provides physical activity, lifestyle and health programs for the prevention and management of chronic disease, injury and disability. Run by the School of Health Sciences, the clinic is linked with UNSW researchers and clinicians. Delivered by Accredited Exercise Physiologists and Exercise Physiology students, the Clinic offers treatments backed by the latest research to improve health. It is open to people of all ages with health conditions that have been shown to benefit from exercise therapy.
COVID-19 modelling to assist future pandemic responses
Over 70 people from the School of Population Health, including staff & at least 30 students contributed their time and skills to the COVID response in Sydney, across NSW, nationally & internationally. Responses have included data modelling for both State and Federal Governments in addition to regional modelling for the World Health Organization Office of the Western Pacific. School experts have contributed to multiple COVID response committees and in the media.
Remarkable COVID response from School of Population Health
UNSW Sydney is the lead academic institute to the Asia Pacific Observatory (APO) on Health Systems and Policies, and The UNSW School of Population Health is one of five universities across the Asia-Pacific region that provides policy research inputs to the APO. The School has provided evidence-based policy advice to Pacific leaders to address pertinent policy challenges including the ageing Pacific population, the use of digital health for universal health coverage goals, and health system governance and financing reform.
The Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH)
With over 30 years of experience, the CSRH conducts social and behavioural health research into chronic health conditions, HIV and sexual health and undertakes health promotion and harm reduction. They are leaders in their fields, with a strong reputation in the academic community, lending authority to the work and influence of public debate. The CSRH are committed to contributing to effective policy and practice by working in partnership with the community, government and research partners.
UNSW 2025 Strategy Update
The 2025 Strategy commits the University to solving this century's biggest health challenges and moving health care into the future. This will be achieved by developing globally relevant approaches to health services research, to ensure effective translation of health care models and delivery. This document celebrates the key achievements of the first phase of the 2025 Strategy, highlighting where we have come from and where we are now.
Health 25 Strategy
UNSW Wellbeing Strategy and Plan
UNSW School of Population Health Strategy 2025
UNSW Sustainable Development Goals 2022 Report
This report outlines UNSW's performance against the SDGs in 2022.
