

Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages. Health and well-being are important at every stage of one’s life, starting from the beginning. This goal addresses all major health priorities: reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health; communicable and non-communicable diseases; universal health coverage; and access for all to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines.

SDG 3 aims to prevent needless suffering from preventable diseases and premature death by focusing on key targets that boost the health of a country’s overall population. Regions with the highest burden of disease and neglected population groups and regions are priority areas. Goal 3 also calls for deeper investments in research and development, health financing and health risk reduction and management.

UNICEF’s role in contributing to Goal 3 centres on healthy pregnancies (maternal mortality and skilled birth attendant), healthy childhoods (under-five and neonatal mortality) as well as vaccine coverage. UNICEF also contributes to monitoring elements of the universal health coverage indicator.

UNICEF is custodian for global monitoring of two indicators that measure progress towards Goal 3 as it relates to children: Indicator 3.2.1 Under-five mortality rate and Indicator 3.2.2 Neonatal mortality rate. UNICEF is also co-custodian for Indicator 3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel and for Indicator 3.b.1 Proportion of the target population covered by all vaccines included in their national programme.

Child-related SDG indicators







Key asks

To ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of all children, UNICEF has four key asks that encourage all governments to:

  1. Strengthen primary healthcare systems to reach every child
  2. Focus on maternal, newborn and child survival
  3. Prioritize child and adolescent health and well-being, including mental health
  4. Support responses to reduce the impact on children and families of natural disasters, complex emergencies and demographic shifts

Learn more about UNICEF’s key asks for implementing Goal 3