Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all ages by expanding health coverage, reducing mortality rates, and enhancing research and financing. This goal encompasses efforts to tackle both communicable and non-communicable diseases, bolster mental health, and address preventable deaths from factors like substance use and road accidents. Global initiatives continue to focus on improving access to universal health coverage, skilled health professionals, diagnostics, and responsive health management systems. In India, significant progress has been made in reducing maternal and child mortality and extending life expectancy. Yet non-communicable diseases and injuries – which are often linked to poverty and dietary changes driven by globalisation and historical factors – now surpass infectious diseases in burden. This suggests the need for continued efforts and innovative approaches to engaging communities in their health journeys. The concept of “lifestyle” diseases places responsibility on individuals rather than addressing systemic market forces impacting health. Aspirational healthcare promotes a holistic approach, emphasizing personalized care, empowerment, and lifestyle informed by social determinants of health.
