Challenges To Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 In Conflict Zones: Barriers To Health And Well-Being In War-Torn Environments

Abstract

Armed conflicts present profound obstacles to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) in affected regions. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the humanitarian, logistical, political, and systemic barriers that impede health outcomes in conflict zones. Drawing on a desk-based literature survey and thematic analysis of academic studies, United Nations and World Health Organization reports, and policy analyses, we find that conflict-fragilized settings account for a disproportionate share of global health burdens and lag severely on SDG3 targets. Key challenges include insecurity and access restrictions, destruction of health infrastructure and supply chains, political obstruction and attacks on healthcare, and the collapse of health systems and financing. We discuss the implications for international policy – notably the need to bridge humanitarian and development efforts, protect health services, and invest in resilient community-based care – and offer recommendations to mitigate these barriers. Ensuring health and well-being in conflict zones will require coordinated, multi-sectoral strategies and a reaffirmation of global commitments to “leave no one behind.”