The Impact of SDG 3 on Health Priorities in Kenya

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Like the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs are global goals, which potentially risk shifting attention and resources away from national development priorities. This article is based on a qualitative study that examined whether the UN’s global health goal—SDG 3—is overriding local health priorities in Kenya. The study found that (a) SDG 3 aligns in many ways with Kenya’s development and health policies, and (b) Kenya is implementing SDG 3 targets selectively. This article, therefore, contends that SDG 3 is not overriding Kenya’s local health priorities.