Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 “Good health and well-being” aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. This goal is crucial because health and well-being are the primary determinants of quality of life, social participation and, indirectly, economic development. Undoubtedly, investments in health are investments in human capital and an essential condition for building a just and sustainable world.
Quality of life is a much broader concept than health. It refers to the subjective evaluation of one’s life situation, taking into account social relations, environmental conditions and self-realization and satisfaction with life. Health status is a fundamental determinant of quality of life. According to the biopsychosocial model, health is not merely the absence of disease, but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.
Chronic diseases, disabilities and mental disorders can lead to significant limitations in an individual’s functioning, which negatively correlates with his or her level of quality of life. These limitations manifest themselves on many levels, from dysfunction in the physical sphere, to a reduced sense of autonomy, to exclusion from social life, leading to a deterioration in the overall sense of well-being.
The “Quality of Life and Health” program will promote an interdisciplinary approach to health issues.
– As part of the program, we will organize student workshops and seminars on health issues and develop a methodological workshop to best study the complex relationship between quality of life and health. We will be inviting researchers from Polish and foreign academic centers/research centers, as well as other professionals in the field of health – announces Dr. Elżbieta Czapka, program coordinator.
More information and program news are available here: Quality of life and health – The Centre for Sustainable Development of the University of Gdańsk (CZRUG)