Social Factors and Policies Promoting Good Health and Well-Being as a Sustainable Development Goal: Current Achievements and Future Pathways

Evangelia Lakioti, Nikolaos Pagonis, Dimitrios Flegkas, Aikaterini Itziou, Konstantinos Moustakas () and Vayos Karayannis ()
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Evangelia Lakioti: School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41 500 Larissa, Greece
Nikolaos Pagonis: School of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50 150 Kozani, Greece
Dimitrios Flegkas: School of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50 150 Kozani, Greece
Aikaterini Itziou: School of Health Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, 502 00 Ptolemaida, Greece
Konstantinos Moustakas: School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
Vayos Karayannis: School of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50 150 Kozani, Greece

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-24

Abstract: Promoting the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) of Good Health and Well-being of all people requires an approach that ensures that health systems are strengthened with comprehensive social support mechanisms. This interrelation has gained increasing recognition as a foundational pillar in realizing sustainable and equitable healthcare. Economic instabilities and social vulnerabilities have direct implications on health access and outcomes, making focused welfare and security measures important in entrenching SDG 3. This work combines interdisciplinary studies, bridging health policy and economic security, at a time when social policy decisions, more than ever, should be guided by real-world needs and evidence, dealing with key factors, interventions, and contributions from policymakers on strategies that can reinforce health systems. Thus, current achievements of SDG 3 and challenges to successfully integrate health and social support sectors are discussed. The study addresses future pathways to achieve this Goal, including greater public investment in inter-sectoral collaboration, innovative funding models, and data-driven policymaking as part of this next wave in advancing health systems resilience. Important ways to restructure public health with less inequality entail a reinforcement of social safety nets, mitigating health consequences through poverty and adverse economic conditions. Coordinated governance, cross-sectoral collaboration, and evidence-based monitoring frameworks assure policymakers of their effectiveness in achieving these policy priorities. This calls for prioritized planning that invests in scalability, sustainability, and adaptability for resilient health systems supported by inclusive welfare state policies. By aligning social policies with health priorities, this paper aims to contribute to a global agenda regarding universal, sustainable, and equitably achieved health outcomes within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords: good health; well-being; health systems resilience; social policies; social factors; sustainable development goal 3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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