Sustainable Development Goals | KUAS-SEOUL

Introduction

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were embraced by the United Nations as a worldwide initiative urging collective efforts to secure a future where everyone can experience peace and prosperity by 2030. The goals are being settled through efforts to balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Some nations have pledged to give special importance to advancing towards these goals, particularly to those who are farthest from achieving them [1].

Team KUAS-Seoul takes the initiative to support targets 3 (good health and well-being) and 5 (gender equality).

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

As mentioned on the description page, early cervical cancer diagnosis is important. Early diagnosis of cervical cancer alleviates the mortality rate and allows for a better prognosis. The current screening method for cervical cancer is through pelvic examination. The invasive examination method causes inconvenience among women. In addition, the reported obstacles absence of healthcare provider recommendations, transportation issues, challenges locating health providers, etc [2].

Therefore, sanitary pads allowing user-friendly diagnosis help promote the UN sustainable development goal 3, which promotes good health and well-being.

SDG 10 Reduced Inequality

Although the early detection of cervical cancer can be prevented and treated, it remains as the leading cause of death among women in low- and middle-income countries. Particularly noteworthy is the recent study’s finding that cervical cancer could be eradicated by achieving full vaccination coverage for girls under 15 and screening 70% of women aged 35 to 45 [3]. This may suggest that continuous screening and early diagnosis of cervical cancer can significantly reduce the long-term incidence rate of the disease.

Therefore, we believe that the development of the biosensor CEApture could help advance the objectives of the tenth sustainable development goal — reducing inequalities.

The Synthetic Biology Debate Competition (South Korea)

Recognizing the significance of our project in terms of sustainability, our team, along with Team Korea-HS, has entered into a collaboration to host a synthetic biology debate competition. The aim is to foster public engagement and raise awareness about the importance of accessible diagnostic systems. Consequently, this competition facilitated open discussions and dialogues, enabling our team to simultaneously advance our project’s potential in women’s health and contribute to the achievement of the third and tenth Sustainable Development Goals.

Promotion of our goals

We thought that further promotion of our goals through social media would be a significant method to advance our objectives. Additionally, we are confident that promoting our initiatives aimed at achieving the UN SDGs can inspire action within communities, including the scientific community.

In general, we are convinced that expanding community engagement and promoting the achievement of the UN SDGs is essential. As a result, we have made efforts to spearhead these activities, which will assist both us and the community in progressing towards the UN SDGs while also expanding and advancing our objectives.

Reference

[1] UNDP, “THE SDGS IN ACTION,” ****UNDP****, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals. [Accessed Oct. 9, 2023]

[2] A. Marais, N. Brewer, S. Knight and J. Smith, “Patient perspectives on cervical cancer screening interventions among underscreened women,” *********PLOS ONE,********* vol. 17, no. 12, Dec., pp. 1-14, 2022.

[3] R. Al-Naggar, “Editorial: Eliminating cervical cancer from low- and middle-income countries: an achievable public health goal,” *********Frontiers*********, vol. 9, Dec., pp. 1-3, 2022.