Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

France is Europe’s most populous country since it has high birth rates and low mortality rates, and a third of its population is of foreign descent. The last census conducted by Institut National D’estudes Demographiques in 2021 estimated France to have a population of 67 million people (Samuel, 2023). France is a multi-racial country and is one of the major world’s economic powers. This country has a stable political and economic environment. Frances’s goal for good health and well-being targets its citizens from all walks of life. They are out to ensure they are reducing maternal mortality, fighting diseases, promoting mental health, access to family planning, granting access to sexual reproductive care education, preventing and treating substance abuse, supporting health research, development and access to vaccines when the need arises, reducing deaths from accidents and lastly achieving universal health coverage.

Good health and well-being are essential needs for human life. A healthy nation creates room for healthy workers; thus, fast innovation leads to development success (Lowe, 2010). The major challenge facing the attainment of this goal is the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the loss of lives and caused an immediate call for action; most medical researchers neglected research for other diseases and shifted all energy to COVID-19. Increased abuse of substances has made the implementation of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control unsuccessful. The use of family planning has led to a decrease in population growth, reducing the workforce number and forcing France to opt for foreign labour.

The healthcare systems in France perform relatively well. France’s main focus on good health and Well-being is preventative health care. Children and women in France get free screening and checkups from time to time to prevent diseases and provide cures at early stages. The government develop policies and ensure they are implemented to the advantage of the French nationals. Through taxation, French health care services have become affordable since most costs are covered by the government. France has prioritized women’s health; they get free cancer screening and free reproductive health checkups (Yonli, 2014). Life expectancy in France is among the highest in the world – 85.6 years for women and 79.7 years for men in 2019. This reflects good overall population health outcomes (Blanpain, 2020)

France has experienced a massive growth in their health care status over the last eight years. Their life expectancy continues to increase yearly. France has increased its healthcare spending to 11.5% in 2018; the government is focused on modernizing infrastructure and research equipment to ensure its citizens get the best care(Johnson, 2018). France performs well in well-being dimensions as compared to other nations in the better life index. About 65% of people aged between 15-64 have a paid job in France. Both Men and women are paid to work without discrimination. France offers quality and affordable education to its citizens at both tertiary and primary levels. There is a 91% voter turnout in France. This means that citizens actively participate in patriotic activities, and their opinions on French issues are valued: this is evident since many stakeholders are involved in public health policymaking in France. An average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is 34375 a year for families in France, and this offers great living standards for the French (OECD, 2013). The government is focused on ensuring the safety of its citizens is upheld, from environmental safety to lowering crime rates in France.

The number of tobacco smokers has also decreased since the health education programmes all over France act as a preventative measure: people are more aware of the dangers of tobacco smoking (West, 2017). Several health programmes continue to be launched and implemented in France: cancer care and support, home-based care, free screening, and community care, among many others (Chevreul, 2015). Access to universal health coverage has made health affordable to all French nationals at any level of treatment. This has lowered the cost that a patient has to part with in order to get health care services. There has been an established low emissions zone in Paris, which is the capital of France, since 2009. To date, France’s focus is on a complete ban on diesel and gasoline vehicles in 2030 and fully adopting the use of electric vehicles to save their environment from air pollution. To date, France’s health care is known for its quality, access and affordability. Overall, France has made significant progress in healthcare access, investments, infrastructure, and population health programs. But continuous efforts are still needed to fully tackle cost pressures, disparities, staff shortages and other systemic challenges (Kuma