Report on the Contributions of Professor Robert C. Spear to Sustainable Development Goals

This report documents the career of Professor Emeritus Robert C. Spear, focusing on his significant contributions to public health and their direct alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Professor Spear passed away on July 7 in Walnut Creek.

Advancements in Global Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

Professor Spear’s work substantially advanced global health, directly addressing key targets within SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases

A cornerstone of his career was an extensive, multi-decade study of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease affecting over 250 million people. This research is a direct contribution to SDG Target 3.3, which calls for an end to the epidemics of neglected tropical diseases. His solution-oriented, engineering-based approach provided new insights into disease transmission and control, impacting communities in China, Zanzibar, and Thailand.

Reducing Illness from Hazardous Chemicals

Professor Spear’s early work focused on mitigating the health effects of pesticides on farmworkers and controlling exposure to various chemical and biological agents. This aligns with SDG Target 3.9, which aims to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and pollution. His research provided a foundation for safer environmental and occupational practices.

Promotion of Decent Work and Sustainable Production (SDG 8 & SDG 12)

Through his focus on occupational health, Professor Spear championed the principles of safe and secure working environments.

Enhancing Occupational Safety

His research into pesticide exposure among agricultural workers and his leadership as the founding director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH) directly support SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, particularly Target 8.8, which seeks to protect labor rights and promote safe working environments for all workers. His work brought uncommon rigor to exposure assessment, leading to improved safety protocols.

Advocating for Responsible Chemical Management

The application of his research on chemical agents contributes to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, by promoting the environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes throughout their life cycle to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

Fostering Quality Education and Global Partnerships (SDG 4 & SDG 17)

Professor Spear’s legacy is defined by his commitment to education and international collaboration, which are critical enablers for achieving all SDGs.

Building Capacity through Mentorship

In line with SDG 4: Quality Education, Professor Spear was an exceptional mentor who supervised dozens of graduate students, many of whom have become leaders in public health. His dedication to training subsequent generations of public health experts ensures his impact will continue. His mentees include at least five academic department chairs, demonstrating his effectiveness in building institutional capacity for public health research and practice.

Strengthening International Cooperation

Professor Spear’s extensive work in China exemplifies SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. His collaboration with Chinese scientists on schistosomiasis research, involving over 40 visits, strengthened North-South scientific cooperation (Target 17.6). This partnership was recognized with prestigious awards, including:

• The Jinding Award (2003)
• The Friendship Award from the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (2005)
• Honorary citizenship in Xichang County (2009)

Summary of Leadership and Lasting Impact

Professor Spear’s career was marked by distinguished leadership and extraordinary contributions that have created a lasting impact on public health systems and research, underpinning progress toward a more sustainable and healthy world.

Key Leadership Roles and Recognitions

1. Founding Director, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH)
2. Associate Dean, School of Public Health and College of Engineering
3. Chair, Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate (1999–2000)
4. Recipient, The Berkeley Citation (2008)
5. Recipient, The Berkeley Faculty Service Award (2011)

His intellectual contributions, from toxicology to systems modeling for infectious diseases, provided innovative solutions to complex global problems. The work of Professor Spear and the generations of leaders he trained will continue to advance the Sustainable Development Goals for years to come.

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

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article extensively details Professor Spear’s work in public health, particularly his research on the infectious disease schistosomiasis, which affects over 250 million people, and his efforts to mitigate the health effects of pesticides on farmworkers. This directly aligns with ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Professor Spear’s five-decade career as a professor, his role as an “outstanding mentor,” and his supervision of “dozens of graduate students” who have gone on to “impressive careers” highlight a strong connection to quality education. The article emphasizes his role in training “generations of public health leaders,” which is central to this goal.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The focus on mitigating “the effects of pesticides on farmworkers” and his work in “occupational and environmental health” connect to the goal of promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Professor Spear’s “long professional relationship with China,” his “close partnership with Chinese scientists” on schistosomiasis research, and his over 40 visits to the country exemplify the spirit of international cooperation to achieve sustainable development goals.

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

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.
   • Professor Spear’s “extensive study of the disease schistosomiasis, caused by parasitic flatworms and affecting over 250 million people worldwide” directly addresses this target. Schistosomiasis is a major neglected tropical and water-borne disease.
2. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • His work “to mitigate the effects of pesticides on farmworkers” and his contributions to the “assessment and control of exposures to many chemical and biological agents” are directly related to reducing illnesses from hazardous chemicals and environmental contamination.

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
   • The article notes he “supervised dozens of graduate students, many of whom have gone on to impressive careers of their own” and that “Bob has five academic department chairs among his students.” This demonstrates his contribution to providing students with relevant skills for high-level employment in public health.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers…
   • His research on “the toxicology of pesticide exposures among agricultural workers” and his founding of the “Center for Occupational and Environmental Health” aimed to understand and improve the working conditions for farmworkers, making their environment safer.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation…
   • The article describes his “close partnership with Chinese scientists” to study schistosomiasis in Sichuan Province and his “long professional relationship with China and the Chinese public health community.” This work, which involved over 40 trips, is a clear example of international scientific cooperation.

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

For Target 3.3 (End Epidemics)

• Indicator: Prevalence and impact of neglected tropical diseases. The article provides a baseline by stating schistosomiasis affects “over 250 million people worldwide.” Progress would be measured by a reduction in this number in the regions where he worked, such as Sichuan Province, China. The “Jinding Award” and “Friendship Award from the State Council of the People’s Republic of China” he received for this work imply successful outcomes.

For Target 3.9 / 8.8 (Reduce Illness from Chemicals / Safe Work Environments)

• Indicator: Reduction in occupational illness and exposure to hazardous chemicals. The article mentions his work to “mitigate the effects of pesticides on farmworkers.” An implied indicator is the rate of pesticide-related illnesses among agricultural workers, which his research aimed to reduce.

For Target 4.4 (Quality Education and Skills)

• Indicator: Number of trained professionals and leaders in a specific field. The article provides direct data points that can serve as indicators: “supervised dozens of graduate students,” “published over 150 scholarly papers, most of them written in collaboration with his graduate students,” and “has five academic department chairs among his students.”

For Target 17.6 (Partnerships)

• Indicator: Number and quality of international scientific partnerships and knowledge-sharing activities. The article mentions several indicators: “he wound up visiting China over 40 times” for professional collaboration, his “close partnership with Chinese scientists,” and the numerous awards received from the Chinese government, which serve as qualitative indicators of a successful partnership.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: publichealth.berkeley.edu