Report on the Augusta University and Georgia DPH Partnership: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals in Public Health

1.0 Introduction: A Partnership for the Goals

A strategic partnership has been established between Augusta University (AU) and the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) East Central Health District 6. This collaboration exemplifies the principles of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by uniting an academic institution with a public health agency to address critical community needs. The initiative’s primary objective is to improve public health outcomes across a 13-county, primarily rural district, directly contributing to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

2.0 Program Overview and Objectives

The initiative is structured as an internship program for AU students, providing them with applied experience in public health. This aligns with SDG 4: Quality Education by offering practical training that prepares students for future careers.

2.1 Geographic Focus and Contribution to SDG 10

The program targets the 13 counties of DPH District 6, which are largely rural and underserved. This focus is a direct effort to address regional disparities in health access and outcomes, a core tenet of SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities. The counties served include:

• Burke
• Columbia
• Emanuel
• Glascock
• Jefferson
• Jenkins
• Lincoln
• McDuffie
• Richmond
• Screven
• Taliaferro
• Warren
• Wilkes

2.2 Key Objectives

1. To provide students with real-world experience in data compilation, analysis, and communication, supporting SDG 4: Quality Education.
2. To generate detailed, county-level health profiles to inform DPH resource allocation and strategic planning, advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.
3. To create a data-driven foundation for grant proposals and program development aimed at improving community health.
4. To strengthen the collaborative bridge between academia and public service, reinforcing SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

3.0 Methodology and Data Analysis

Since January 2025, student interns from AU’s School of Public Health have supported DPH by compiling and analyzing public health data. The process involved navigating multiple databases to create comprehensive datasets for small, rural counties where such information is often incomplete.

3.1 Data Indicators and SDG Alignment

The analysis focused on a range of socio-demographic and health indicators that are central to the Sustainable Development Goals:

• Food Security: Directly relates to SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
• Infant Mortality, Tobacco Use, and Obesity Rates: Key metrics for tracking progress toward SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.
• Education Levels and Population Trends: Socio-demographic indicators crucial for understanding and addressing the root causes of inequality under SDG 10.

The students’ work involved comparing local data against state and national benchmarks to identify health trends and patterns, a critical step in designing targeted interventions.

4.0 Outcomes and Impact

The partnership has produced tangible outcomes that will have a lasting impact on public health in the region and contribute to multiple SDGs.

4.1 Data-Driven Decision-Making for SDG 3

The visual reports and county profiles generated by the interns provide the DPH with localized data necessary to make informed decisions. According to Dr. Lee Donohue, District Health Director, this granular data is more meaningful for community leaders and will influence where the department focuses its resources to impact public health, thereby advancing SDG 3.

4.2 Enhancing Educational and Professional Capacity (SDG 4)

The internship provides students with critical competencies in data analysis and communication. As stated by student Hannah Copp, a key skill learned was how to “tell a story using the data,” which is a powerful tool for driving public health initiatives and policy change. This experience prepares a new generation of professionals equipped to tackle complex health challenges.

4.3 A Model for Sustainable Collaboration (SDG 17)

The program is described as a “win-win” and a “great synergy” by stakeholders. It demonstrates a successful model where students gain invaluable experience (SDG 4) while the community benefits from their work through better-informed public health strategies (SDG 3). The data will be used in grant applications to secure funding for health programs.

5.0 Future Directives

The partnership is set to continue and expand, further embedding its commitment to the SDGs.

• Continued Data Analysis: The foundational data work will continue to drive programmatic priorities and grant applications.
• Nonprofit Infrastructure Development: A future internship initiative will focus on creating a resource directory of local employers with charitable giving programs. This work supports SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities by identifying new funding streams to address local needs such as facility improvements and public education.

This ongoing collaboration between Augusta University and the DPH serves as a powerful example of how local partnerships can effectively translate global development goals into tangible community action.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • The article’s central theme is a public health partnership aimed at improving the well-being of Georgians. The project involves analyzing health data on topics such as “infant mortality rates,” “tobacco use,” and “obesity” to inform resource allocation and public health initiatives in 13 counties.
• SDG 4: Quality Education
  • The article highlights an internship program for Augusta University students, providing them with “valuable experience” and the “opportunity to apply their training in real-world settings.” This practical experience in data analysis, communication, and program planning directly contributes to quality tertiary education and developing skills for future employment in public health.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • The partnership specifically focuses on “primarily rural” and “underserved areas.” By compiling and analyzing data at the “county-level” and even “ZIP code and neighborhood” level, the initiative aims to understand and address health disparities between these communities and state or national averages, thereby working to reduce health-related inequalities.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
  • The entire initiative is built on a “new partnership between Augusta University and the Georgia Department of Public Health.” The article describes it as a “win-win” collaboration where an academic institution and a public agency work together, sharing knowledge and resources to achieve common public health goals. It explicitly states, “this partnership exemplifies how academic institutions and public agencies can work together.”
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • The article explicitly mentions that the data analysis included exploring health outcomes such as “food security.” This directly connects the project’s scope to the goal of ending hunger and ensuring access to food.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age.
   • The article states that the students’ data analysis included “infant mortality rates,” which is a key metric for this target.
2. Target 3.4: Reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment.
   • The project analyzed risk factors for non-communicable diseases, specifically mentioning “tobacco use” and “obesity.”
3. Target 4.4: Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment and decent jobs.
   • The internship program is designed to provide students with practical skills in “data compilation and analysis,” “data synthesis,” and “communication skills,” preparing them for “careers in public health.”
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.
   • The article is a case study of a public-academic partnership between the Georgia Department of Public Health and Augusta University, demonstrating an effective collaboration to achieve shared objectives.
5. Target 17.18: Increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts.
   • A core challenge identified and addressed by the project was the lack of “widely available or accessible” “key county-level data.” The students’ work focused on compiling and disaggregating data by geographic location (county, ZIP code) to create a “more comprehensive dataset.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Infant mortality rates: This is explicitly mentioned as a health outcome being analyzed and is a direct indicator for SDG Target 3.2.
2. Prevalence of tobacco use: Mentioned as a health behavior being analyzed, this is an indicator related to SDG Target 3.4 on non-communicable diseases.
3. Prevalence of obesity: This is another health outcome mentioned in the analysis, which is a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases under Target 3.4.
4. Measures of food security: The article lists “food security” as one of the areas of analysis, which is a direct indicator for SDG 2.
5. Socio-demographic indicators: The article mentions the analysis of “age distribution, education levels and population trends.” These are used as indicators and for data disaggregation as promoted by Target 17.18.
6. Availability of disaggregated data: An implied indicator is the successful creation of “visual reports comparing county-level trends to state averages” and a “comprehensive dataset” where it was previously “lacking or incomplete.” This measures progress towards Target 17.18.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: jagwire.augusta.edu