Medicines alone can’t attain SDGs: health Minister

Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain has underscored the need for coordinated planning and joint initiatives involving all relevant ministries, including water resources, education, social welfare, home affairs and local government, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), instead of relying solely on the Ministry of Health.

He said healthcare services cannot be ensured through medicines or syringes alone and that disease prevention must receive the highest priority to attain SDG Goal-3.

The minister made the remarks at a national conference on SDG implementation and review held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital on Tuesday.

“Alongside improving education, law and order, and reducing gender disparities, sectors such as water, education and social welfare must be integrated with the health sector to achieve SDG Goal-3,” he said, and adding that “Medicines or saline alone cannot ensure the achievement of SDGs; prevention should be the foundation, and the Prime Minister is giving utmost importance to this issue.” Highlighting the importance of sanitation and healthy lifestyles in rural areas, the minister called for ensuring safe drinking water and raising public awareness. He also stressed changing unhygienic habits, such as handling money and goods with unclean hands in marketplaces.

Referring to the acute shortage of potable water and salinity in the country’s south-western region, Sakhawat said many people are being forced to drink discoloured water. He added that he raised the issue at a conference in Paris last month and received assurances of international cooperation. The minister also urged parents to protect children from excessive mobile phone and screen addiction and the harmful effects of junk food. He highlighted the importance of preventing child marriage, promoting maternal awareness, breastfeeding and proper nutrition.

Calling on the Planning Commission to formulate an integrated strategy, he said relevant ministries should meet at least once every two months to jointly implement plans, as SDG targets cannot be achieved through isolated efforts. The event, chaired by Professor Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), was attended by Water Resources Minister Md Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and reserved-seat lawmaker Anna Minj, among others.