Biodiversity Marker Guide Health

Health is one of the seven priorities for the Swedish Government and Sida, where sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and health system strengthening (HSS) are priorities. Investments in health are critical to achieving the ustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to fulfilling the global commitments of Agenda 2030. The world’s global health has improved tremendously in the last century, but progress has stagnated and even regressed in recent years. Armed conflicts and climate change are important factors for these setbacks. Inequalities between women and men are linked to many challenges within global health, such as SRHR, but inequities between and within countries are also pushing progress further away from the SDGs. In 2025, Sida disbursed approximately SEK 1.9 billion on health, including SRHR, which represents almost 8.4 per cent of Sida’s total development support. This calculation does not include research around health, nor humanitarian support.

Social protection is a human right with direct effects on poverty, resilience and livelihoods. Well-designed programmes can also improve gender equality and reduce women’s vulnerabilities across the life course.