Monitoring Sustainable Development Goals 3: Assessing the Readiness of Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Background: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) availed opportunities for scaling up service coverage but called for stringent monitoring and evaluation (M&E) focusing mainly on MDG related programs. The Sustainable Development Goals 3 (SDGs) and the universal health coverage (UHC) agenda present a broader scope and require more sophisticated M&E systems. We assessed the readiness of low- and middle-income countries to monitor SDG 3. Methods: Employing mixed methods, we reviewed health sector M&E plans of 6 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region to assess the challenges to M&E, the indicator selection pattern and the extent of multisectoral collaboration. Qualitative data were analysed using content thematic analysis while quantitative data were analysed using Excel. Results: Challenges to monitoring SDG 3 include weak institutional capacity; fragmentation of M&E functions; inadequate domestic financing; inadequate data availability, dissemination and utilization of M&E products. The total number of indictors in the reviewed plans varied from 38 for Zimbabwe to 235 for Zanzibar. Sixty-nine percent of indicators for the Gambia and 89% for Zanzibar were not classified in any domain in the M&E results chain. Countries lay greater M&E emphasis on service delivery, health systems, maternal and child health as well as communicable diseases with a seeming neglect of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Inclusion of SDG 3 indicators only ranged from 48% for Zanzibar to 67% for Kenya. Although monitoring SDG 3 calls for multisectoral collaboration, consideration of the role of other sectors in the M&E plans was either absent or limited to the statistical departments. Conclusion: There are common challenges confronting M&E at county-level. Countries have omitted key indicators for monitoring components of the SDG 3 targets especially those on NCDs and injuries. The role of other sectors in monitoring SDG 3 targets is not adequately reflected. These could be bottlenecks to tracking progress towards SDG 3 if not addressed. Beyond providing compendium of indicators to guide countries, we advocate for a more binding minimum set of indicators for all countries to which they may add depending on their context. Ministries of Health (MoHs) should prioritise M&E as an important pillar for health service planning and implementation and not as an add-on activity.

National Policy of Black Sea Region Countries Towards Sustainable Development

“…• B uilding effective, accountable and tra n s parent institutions (linked to SDGs 16,17). E n h a n cin g op en , p a rticip ato ry , d em ocratic p ro cesses and p rom otin g partnerships (linked to SD Gs 16,17).…”

A Systematic Review of Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Growing Global Health Concern

“…Existing research recognizes that the critical role played for the forthcoming measurements of global burden in CVD will be increased, informed by new vital registration systems [35][36][37][38][39][40]. Sustainable development goals, along with human resources, technical capacity, infrastructures, and funding, will be in need, particularly in LMICs [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45].…”

Meta-analysis of the literature related to SDG 3 and its investment

“…Therefore, it is concluded that there is a research gap in this economically highly relevant policy field, which must be filled in to counter the problems outlined in the introduction. Without viable solutions in the area of financing and investment, there is a risk that the SDG 3 targets will not be achieved to the full extent, which will particularly affect the population in low-and medium-income countries (Nabukalu et al, 2020; United Nations, 2020a, p. 31). To fill in the financial gaps and thereby trigger the achievement of SDG 3, other (non-governmental) sources of funding are needed in addition to public finance (Cerf, 2019; United Nations, 2019, p. 32).…”