14 July 2025

Mr. President,  

My Delegation welcomes this discussion on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. In this regard, it is important to underscore that health is not merely the absence of illness, but a holistic state of physical, psychological, social, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. It is a vital part of integral human development.

Regrettably, progress towards the achievement of SDG 3 remains uneven. Persistent obstacles, including fragile health systems, inadequate funding, and an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases continue to exacerbate existing health disparities. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed structural weaknesses and aggravated existing inequalities. These disparities are evident in the millions of people who still lack access to basic healthcare, the stagnant maternal mortality rates, and the silent suffering of those with untreated mental health conditions.  

To overcome these challenges and realise health and well-being for all, comprehensive and integrated policies that recognise the interdependence of SDG3 with other Goals should be adopted. Such policies must take into account the links between health outcomes and poverty (SDG1), hunger and nutrition (SDG2), education (SDG4) and clean water and sanitation (SDG6). Furthermore, health and wellbeing are also profoundly impacted by partnerships and financing (SDG17).

Achieving health and wellbeing for all also calls for special attention to be paid to the most vulnerable members of the human family, including the unborn, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, migrants and those living in conflict-affected areas. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including […] medical care.”[1] This is a right for all, not a privilege for the few, rooted in the fundamental truth that every human life is sacred and worthy of care from conception to natural death. Therefore, any approach that undermines human dignity or denies care based on perceived utility or cost must be rejected. Instead, there must be a commitment to health and wellbeing by protecting and serving those most at risk of being forgotten.

Ideological or economic agendas must never shape healthcare; it must remain person-centred. Faith-based organisations, including Catholic health institutions, play a vital role in achieving this. Strengthening partnerships with these institutions could therefore help to keep healthcare person-centred. The Catholic Church, which runs approximately a quarter of all health facilities worldwide, will continue to provide care to the poorest and those in the most remote areas.

Thank you.

[1] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25.