1 Demonstrate an appropriate understanding of academic integrity principles and apply academic
writing, referencing and acknowledgement conventions required for the discipline.
2 Demonstrate an understanding of the social determinants of health and illness using anthropological
and sociological frameworks.
4 Describe and apply the concepts of cultural security, cultural safety and cultural competence in health
care contexts for wellbeing and empowerment within a person-centred framework.
Background to the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, many countries adopted the Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The 17 SGDs are set by the United Nations (UN) for completion in 2030 (United Nations (UN), n.d.). The SDGs tackle global inequality (including hunger, poverty, education, health and resource allocation). They recognise the inter-dependence of countries and the impact of humans on the environment. The goals need to be sustainable, so that interventions will continue well into the future. The SDGs form an international health agenda; however, there are challenges to implementing them in ‘real life’ and every country is unique. Some countries will struggle because of war or conflict, underdeveloped infrastructure or poor governance and other factors that influence the determinants of health.
write a 1600 (+/-10%) argumentative essay on one low or lower- middle income country’s progress towards achieving SDG 3: (Good health and wellbeing), Target 2: “
newborns and children under five years of age with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at
least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births(UN, n.d.).
Choose either newborns (neonatal) or children under five years of age to focus your essay:
”
By 2030, end preventable deaths of
ESSAY QUESTION: Is [your chosen country] likely to end preventable deaths of newborns (neonatal babies) by 2030?
Or ESSAY QUESTION: Is [your chosen country] likely to end preventable deaths of children under five
years of age by 2030?
Preparation
• Do some background research on the SDGs. The UN website http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/ is one source.
• Pick one low-income or lower-middle income (developing) country. You can check your country’s income classification from the World Bank (2020) country income map: https://datatopics.worldbank.org/world- development-indicators/the-world-by-income-and-region.html
Use the SociologicaI Imagination Template to structure your essay:
• Discuss relevant historical, cultural and structural factors that influence the likelihood of your chosen country achieving the Target.
• Follow the APA formatting guidelines. Headings centred, bold and in title case.
• After describing the relevant historical, cultural and structural factors you will critically analyse how these factors affect the likelihood of your country achieving the Target.
Structure and Presentation for Essay
Introduction
Engage the reader’s interest Briefly ‘set the scene’ by providing some information about the issue and the country • Provide a thesis statement (i.e., your argument) and a justification – for example: • “The country will achieve Target 2 for infants [or for newborns] because….” OR “The country is unlikely to achieve Target 2 because…” (make sure you justify your thesis statement) • Define important terms associated with this specific target – e.g., mortality or neonatal • Explain the impact on the health of the population as a whole •
NOTE: Do not provide the background to the SDGs, we have provided this information in the unit.
Historical factors: How have major events in the country’s history (e.g., climate/natural disasters such as drought, political change, conflict) impacted the current situation? Has the country worked on this issue over time?
Cultural Factors: How has culture influenced the situation? What are local beliefs and practices that could be relevant to this goal/target (e.g, religion, rituals and common practices, gender, treatment of ethnic minorities)?
Structural Factors: Which structural factors are most likely to influence this issue (e.g., access to services such as health, education, transport, housing, sanitation)? These are often the key social determinants of health.
Depending on your chosen country, the amount of relevant information on the three factors may vary (e.g., some countries will have minimal relevant historical factors compared with others). Remember to include relevant statistics in your essay. The background data you provide on your country should be up to date and from credible sources, for example:
TheGlobalHealthObservatory,WorldHealth Organisation:https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/countries o UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage.html
TheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsReportfor2020(withafocusontheimpactofCovid19oneach of the SDGs) https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2020/
TheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsReportfor2021(withfurtherinformationontheimpactof COVID-19) on each of the SDGs) https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2021/
Critical Analysis: defend your thesis statement (argument) by explaining how key historical, cultural and structural factors identified in your essay could have implications for achieving the target:
What are the barriers and enablers to achieving the target ? For example: Who is most affected and why?
Are social and cultural beliefs and practices contributing to the issue?
Are policies, funds and provision of services adequate and appropriately targeted?
A success story – Is there a relevant program or intervention that has resulted in an improved outcome which could be implemented/expanded? It could be a program that has been implemented in another country. Would it work in your country?
Conclusion
• Re-state the main idea presented in the Introduction / re-state thesis statement
• How is the country progressing towards achieving the SDG goal/ target?
• Restate the most important barrier or enabler to reaching or failing to reach the target
• Do not add new information, but you may support a point with data (statistics or a quote). Do not end on a reference, but with your own words Referencing – APA (7th ed.) Students should provide at least 10 references. The majority of these must be current and credible academic sources such as refereed academic journal articles or government reports. Websites can be used for country information from recommended humanitarian, health and development organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). See also, the websites for country information.
Reference List:
• Use APA 7th ed. guide
• Start list on a separate page with heading References (centred and in bold type) on the first line
• References in alphabetical order by author surname
• Where an item has no author it is cited and listed by its title
• Apply a hanging indent (1.27cm) to the second and subsequent lines of each reference
• Double-spacing is used for entire list (no additional spaces between references)
In-text References
• Use APA 7th ed. guide
• Always provide an in-text reference for direct quotes, numbers and statistics, with page number
• Provide in-text references to all information and ideas paraphrased and taken from other writers
• A reference is not required for your thesis statement and your own analysis – (e.g., fewer in-text references are provided in the Introduction, Critical analysis and Conclusion).
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|