Report on Threats to Public Health, Higher Education, and Sustainable Development

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the current political pressures on public health, biomedical research, and higher education in the United States. These challenges are framed within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting a significant threat to the achievement of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The situation reflects a global pattern of autocratic pressure on academic and scientific institutions. The report concludes that an effective response requires the formation of multi-stakeholder partnerships (SDG 17) to create a united front dedicated to preserving democratic institutions and advancing sustainable development.

Analysis of Current Threats to Sustainable Development Goals in the U.S.

Erosion of Strong and Accountable Institutions (SDG 16)

Recent actions by the U.S. administration against academic and scientific bodies are characterized not as policy negotiations but as a form of “authoritarian extortion.” This approach directly undermines the principles of SDG 16, which calls for effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. The tactics employed represent a significant regression from democratic norms and threaten the institutional foundations necessary for sustainable development.

• Financial pressure is being applied to universities and public health agencies.
• There are efforts to control university governance and academic autonomy.
• The administration’s framing of these actions as “settlements” obscures their coercive nature and weakens institutional integrity.

Setbacks for Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

The integrity of public health and biomedical research is under direct assault, jeopardizing progress toward SDG 3. Actions that compromise the nation’s health infrastructure include:

• The termination of federally approved research grants.
• The impoundment of funds designated for public health agencies.
• Political interference in scientific processes, which undermines the capacity to address public health crises and ensure healthy lives for all citizens.

Undermining Quality Education (SDG 4)

Higher education, a cornerstone of SDG 4, is being systematically targeted. The pressure on universities to comply with political demands threatens academic freedom and the pursuit of knowledge. This attack on educational institutions curtails the development of inclusive and equitable quality education, which is essential for a functioning democracy and a sustainable future.

Global Context and Historical Precedents

International Case Studies on Autocratic Challenges to SDG 4 and SDG 16

The challenges facing U.S. institutions are not isolated but are part of a global playbook used by autocratic governments to consolidate power by weakening independent sources of knowledge and dissent. These international examples demonstrate a consistent pattern of undermining SDG 4 and SDG 16.

1. Poland: The former Law and Justice (PiS) government sought to control university governance and targeted specific fields, including gender studies, sociology, and history, thereby obstructing progress on SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
2. Turkey: The government forced the resignation of over 1,500 university deans, curtailed institutional autonomy, and harassed dissenting faculty, representing a direct assault on SDG 16.
3. Mexico: The previous administration froze university funding, restructured scientific councils to align with political objectives, and intimidated researchers, weakening the country’s capacity for innovation and quality education (SDG 4).
4. Hungary: The government has systematically taken over university leadership, shuttered social science programs, and forced the relocation of the Central European University, illustrating a severe regression in academic freedom and institutional strength.

Historical Models for Integrated Advocacy

History provides successful models where public health advocacy was integrated with broader pro-democracy movements, demonstrating a powerful synergy between SDG 3 and SDG 16.

• Brazil: The Sanitary Reform Movement in the 1970s and 1980s successfully campaigned for a national healthcare system as part of a larger struggle against the country’s military dictatorship.
• South Africa: The campaign for access to antiretroviral therapy in the 2000s was a broad-based political movement that compelled a reluctant government to address a critical public health crisis, advancing both health equity (SDG 3) and government accountability (SDG 16).

Recommendations for a Coordinated Response

The Imperative for Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (SDG 17)

An effective strategy requires moving beyond isolated, single-issue battles. The public health and biomedical communities must recognize their struggle as part of a larger fight to defend democratic principles. In line with SDG 17, a “united democratic front” is necessary, uniting various sectors of civil society against democratic backsliding.

Forging Strategic Alliances for Sustainable Development

To protect the foundations of sustainable development, the public health and biomedical sectors must build strategic alliances with other movements that are also under threat. This collaborative approach is essential to counter systemic pressures and advocate for a society where strong institutions, health, and education can thrive.

Recommended partners for this united front include groups working on:

• Immigration rights
• Environmental protection
• Civil rights and justice

By linking arms, these disparate groups can form a powerful coalition to defend the institutional pillars of a just and sustainable society, ensuring continued progress on SDGs 3, 4, and 16.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article extensively discusses the challenges faced by “public health and biomedical research in the US.” It highlights the importance of this sector by referencing historical examples like the “Sanitary Reform Movement (Movimento da Reforma Sanitária) in Brazil” and the “struggle for antiretroviral therapy in South Africa” for “lifesaving medicines.” The text also mentions threats to funding for public health, such as “impounded funds stripped from public health agencies” and terminated NIH grants.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• A central theme is the “attacks on higher education.” The article details how authoritarian governments target universities by seeking to “exert control over university governance,” shuttering “degree programs in social sciences and humanities (e.g., in sociology, anthropology, history, and philosophy),” and even “forcing the Central European University to relocate.” This directly relates to ensuring access to and the quality of tertiary education.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article frames the issues as a “global battle against antidemocratic forces” and “democratic backsliding.” It describes actions that weaken institutions, such as restructuring “leadership bodies such as the National Council of Science and Technology,” and attacks on fundamental freedoms, including “harassing faculty and students for dissenting views” and using lawsuits to intimidate researchers. This connects to the goal of building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions and protecting fundamental freedoms.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The author concludes by calling for broad-based alliances to counter these threats. The article explicitly states, “those of us in public health and biomedicine are going to have to ally with the pro-democracy movement writ large” and “link arms with people working on immigration, the environment, and civil rights.” This call for a “united democratic front” directly embodies the principle of multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Identified SDG Targets

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines. The article’s focus on protecting “biomedical research” and the mention of “terminated grants” from the NIH directly relate to this target. The historical example of the “struggle for antiretroviral therapy in South Africa” further emphasizes the importance of research and access to “lifesaving medicines.”
2. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage. The reference to Brazil’s “Sanitary Reform Movement,” which “pushed for healthcare reforms and the creation of a national healthcare system,” aligns with the goal of ensuring access to quality essential healthcare services for all.

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.3: Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The article details numerous threats to university education, including “financial pressure on universities,” efforts to “exert control over university governance,” and the shuttering of programs, all of which undermine the quality of and access to tertiary education.
2. Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including…human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence. The article notes that authoritarian regimes specifically target areas of study like “gender studies, sociology, philosophy, and history.” Protecting these fields is crucial for fostering the critical thinking and knowledge base that underpins this target.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The article describes how governments have “restructured leadership bodies” of scientific councils, changed laws to “curtail the fiscal and academic autonomy of universities,” and “impounded funds stripped from public health agencies,” all of which are direct attacks on the effectiveness and accountability of these institutions.
2. Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms. The article highlights actions that curtail fundamental freedoms, such as “harassing faculty and students for dissenting views” and targeting “individual researchers with charges of misuse of funds in order to intimidate them.” The defense of academic freedom is central to this target.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The author’s primary conclusion is a call to action for such partnerships: “To save public health and biomedical research, we’re going to have to be part of a united democratic front with other groups working to oppose and fight democratic backsliding… We have to link arms with people working on immigration, the environment, and civil rights.”

Mentioned or Implied Indicators

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Implied Indicator: Total official development assistance to medical research and basic health sectors. The article’s concern over “terminated grants” for the NIH and “impounded funds stripped from public health agencies” implies that the level of funding for biomedical and public health research is a key metric of progress or regression.

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Implied Indicator: Existence of academic freedom. While not a formal UN indicator, the entire article implies that the state of academic freedom is a critical measure. The examples of governments “harassing faculty and students,” targeting specific fields of study, and controlling university governance all point to the erosion of academic freedom as a negative indicator.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Implied Indicator: Number of verified cases of…arbitrary detention and torture of…human rights defenders. The article’s mention of governments “harassing faculty and students for dissenting views” and targeting “individual researchers with charges of misuse of funds in order to intimidate them” implies that tracking such cases of intimidation against academics and researchers is a relevant indicator of the state of fundamental freedoms.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Implied Indicator: Progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness. The call to form a “united democratic front” and “link arms with people working on immigration, the environment, and civil rights” suggests that the formation and effectiveness of such civil society coalitions can be an indicator of progress towards achieving shared goals.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thenation.com