Assessment of SDG 3 Research Priorities and COVID-19 Recovery Pathways: A Case Study from University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Josè M. Frantz (), Pearl Erasmus and Lumka Magidigidi-Mathiso
Additional contact information
Josè M. Frantz: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
Pearl Erasmus: Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
Lumka Magidigidi-Mathiso: Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 3, particularly in developing countries, exacerbating existing health disparities and creating new challenges for health systems worldwide. This study explores the role of university research in advancing SDG 3 targets in a post-pandemic context using the University of the Western Cape as a case study. Through qualitative data analysis of research titles and abstracts registered between 2020 and 2022, we applied the WHERETO model of McTighe and Bloom’s Taxonomy to categorize research according to the SDG 3 targets and indicators. This approach provides insight into which health priorities were addressed through scholarly research at UWC in alignment with the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly during pandemic recovery. Our findings indicate that research priorities largely corresponded with South Africa’s health challenges, with the highest concentration of studies addressing non-communicable diseases and mental health (Target 3.4), infectious diseases (Target 3.3), and medicine development (Target 3.b). These priorities align with the National Health Research Committee’s identified health priorities for disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape. Notably, research on mental health and emergency preparedness (Target 3.d) increased significantly during the pandemic period, reflecting shifting priorities in response to COVID-19. This study offers critical insights into how university research shifted priorities adapted during the pandemic and identifies areas requiring focused attention to support post-pandemic recovery. By highlighting research gaps and opportunities, our findings provide a foundation for developing more comprehensive approaches to health research that address the disparities exacerbated by COVID-19 while advancing the 2030 agenda. This model could inform research prioritization at other institutions facing similar challenges in both local and global contexts.

Keywords: COVID-19; determinants; health priorities; interventions; pandemic recovery; research; Sustainable Development Goals; university (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/7/1057/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/7/1057/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:7:p:1057-:d:1692362

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().