The objective is to increase the capacity of Southern think tanks to accelerate the implementation of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adopted in September 2015, the 17 SDGs provide a platform and mechanism to improve the well-being of the world’s population. One goal addresses health directly, while the others focus on themes—such as environment, nutrition, and hunger—that also have an impact on health.
Representatives from more than 60 think tanks and academic institutions, including three Think Tank Initiative institutions, first met in November 2015 in Geneva to discuss the need for a concerted approach. They explored how think tanks can best help accelerate progress toward the health-related SDGs by sharing knowledge, learning, and experience from their contributions to public health policy at the national, regional, and global levels.
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) will contribute to this effort with a series of editorials. Read the first submission, Accelerating achievement of the sustainable development goals, co-authored by the Graduate Institute, International Development Research Centre, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the BMJ.
