Abstract

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an ambitious initiative of the United Nations, with 17 goals and 169 targets, integrating health, economic development, elimination of extreme poverty, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and good governance. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals focus on: poverty; hunger; health education; gender equality; water and sanitation; energy; economic growth and employment; industry, innovation and infrastructure; inequality; sustainable cities; consumption and production; climate change; marine resources; terrestrial ecosystems; peace, justice and accountability; and global partnership for sustainable development. There is a mutually reinforcing relationship between health and the three dimensions of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental. The connectors are health systems, behavioural, biochemical and environmental risk factors, ecosystems and the social and structural determinants of health, including enabling legal environments, financing and governance. In recognition of the negative impact of NCDs including stroke on development, they have been specifically incorporated in Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 3 addresses all major health priorities, including stroke and other NCDs, integral for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, integrating health with economic, social and environmental dimensions of development, offers an unprecedented opportunity to address stroke (NCDs) and their determinants through multisectoral and multidimensional approaches.