scholarly journals Application of IoT in Healthcare: Keys to Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2330
Author(s):  
Ángeles Verdejo Espinosa ◽  
José Luis Lopez Ruiz ◽  
Francisco Mata Mata ◽  
Macarena Espinilla Estevez

We live in complex times in the health, social, political, and energy spheres, and we must be aware of and implement new trends in intelligent social health systems powered by the Internet of Things (IoT). Sustainable development, energy efficiency, and public health are interrelated parameters that can transform a system or an environment for the benefit of people and the planet. The integration of sensors and smart devices should promote energy efficiency and ensure that sustainable development goals are met. This work is carried out according to a mixed approach, with a literature review and an analysis of the impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on the applications of the Internet of Things and smart systems. In the analysis of results, the following questions are answered about these systems and applications: (a) Are IoT applications key to the improvement of people’s health and the environment? (b) Are there research and case studies implemented in cities or territories that demonstrate the effectiveness of IoT applications and their benefits to public health? (c) What sustainable development indicators and objectives can be assessed in the applications and projects analyzed?

Author(s):  
Gloria Krahn

Accounting for about 15% of the world’s population, persons with disabilities constitute a critical population. Despite a substantial knowledge base in disability and public health, persons with disabilities have been remarkably invisible within general global public health. Public health’s view of disability is shifting from regarding disability only as an outcome to prevent, to using disability as a demographic characteristic that identifies a population experiencing a range of inequities. Alternative models of disability reflect how disability has been viewed over time. These models vary in their underlying values and assumptions, whether the locus of disability is the individual or the environment or their interaction, who designates “disability,” and the focus of intervention outcomes. The United Nations flagship report on Disability and Sustainable Development Goals, 2018 documents that, as a group, the lives of persons with disabilities are marked by large disparities in Sustainable Development Goal indicators. These include increased likelihood of experiencing poverty, hunger, poor health, and unemployment, and greater likelihood of encountering barriers to education and literacy, clean water and sanitation, energy, and information technology. Overall, persons with disabilities experience greater inequalities, and this is particularly experienced by women and girls with disabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters have highlighted the gaps in equality and consequent vulnerability of this population. Global disability data have improved dramatically during the decade from 2010 to 2020 with the advent of standardized disability question sets (Washington Group) and model surveys (Model Disability Survey). New studies from the Global South and North identify areas and strategies for interventions that can effectively advance the Sustainable Development Goals. This call-to-action outlines strategies for increasing visibility and improving wellbeing of persons with disabilities, particularly in the Global South. Increased visibility of the disability population within the global public health community can be achieved through active engagement of persons with disabilities. Improved collection of disability data and routine analysis by disability status can provide information vital to planning and policies. A twin-track approach can provide direction for interventions—inclusion in mainstream programs where possible, use of disability-specific and rehabilitation approaches where necessary. The article ends by outlining ways that multiple roles can increase the inclusion of persons with disabilities in global public health.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. v-vi
Author(s):  
Harlan Koff ◽  
Carmen Maganda

The following question was asked during the 2017 International Conference of the Consortium for Comparative Research on Regional Integration and Social Cohesion (RISC) on “Integrated and Coherent Sustainable Development”: “If forced to choose one of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] to prioritize, which would it be?” Of course, this provocation elicited numerous responses, and passionate debate as each of the SDGs is worthy and the policy community supporting sustainable development is heterogeneous, including stakeholders who are implicated in discussions on the environment, human rights, public health, food security, water security, gender equality, and so on. None of the responses forwarded can be considered “wrong.”


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Malgorzata Miszczyńska

Public health, affecting the operations of the entity and its environment, plays an important role in the concept of sustainable development. Health condition affects the quality of life of the individual thus the condition of the economy. Taking into consideration the complex relationship of public health and the concept of Sustainable Development Goals, the analysis seems to be fully justified. The aim of the analysis is to determine challenges and opportunities of the sustainability of selected United Nations Member States healthcare sectors. Particular emphasis in the analysis was placed on the situation of the Polish sector against the background of the analyzed countries. The analysis was based on the Sustainable Development Goals and was carried out using one of the MCDA method.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Jorg Heukelbach ◽  
Andréa Silvestre de Sousa ◽  
Alberto Novaes Ramos

Despite being described for the first time more than 110 years ago, Chagas disease persists as one of the most neglected tropical diseases [...]


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Garcia

Abstract Background Climate change has made many headlines in the last few years. Because it threatens clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter, it can have a negative impact on health and undermine any progress on development. The price of inaction is high and the Sustainable Development Goals are a global effort to avoid it. However, Public Health must become a more active player to create greener services to serve a healthier world. Objective This presentation aims to provide a historical overview on the evolution of climate change, what we actually know about it, what is its impact on health and the need for green health services. Results Human activity since the mid-20th century has largely contributed to rapid climate change, including a rise in average surface temperature (0,9 degrees Celsius), most of which occurred in the past 35 years, and subsequent rise on other extreme events, such as intense rainfalls. Estimations make it that, by 2030, climate change will increase not only the number of deaths by malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress, but also the direct damage costs to health to USD 2-4 billion per year. This not only adds vulnerability to already fragile countries, but also compromises the Sustainable Development Goals. Along that, the healthcare sector is playing a role on generating millions of tons of waste, some of which is toxic, contributing to loss of global habitat and biodiversity and the impairment of the health of the world's ecosystem. Conclusions There is enough evidence-based data to support que need for relevant policies or innovative programmes that, besides implementing and advocating for better public health and health systems in each country, can also contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, namely goals number 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13, and a healthy planet to go along with healthy people.


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