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Infectious diseases and the Sustainable Development Goals: progress, challenges and future directions

Infectious diseases markedly influence progress towards the SDGs. Pandemics and global inequity have hindered progress towards the health targets, highlighting humanity’s interconnectedness and shared vulnerability to new infectious agents. Enhanced global collaboration and partnerships in training, surveillance, research and innovation are essential to reach the health SDGs by 2030.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank N. Devnarain for assistance with the references.

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Correspondence to Quarraisha Abdool Karim.

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Q.A.K. is co-chair of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism Panel that advises the United Nations Secretary-General on how technology can advance achievement of the SDGs. S.S.A.K. is Special Advisor on pandemics to the Director-General of the World Health Organization.

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Abdool Karim, Q., Abdool Karim, S.S. Infectious diseases and the Sustainable Development Goals: progress, challenges and future directions. Nat Rev Microbiol 21, 626–627 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-023-00954-7

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