APSCC organised a seminar on SDG 3 — Good Health and Well-Being in collaboration with Pondicherry University (India) and Durham University (UK), bringing together academics and practitioners to explore how environmental sustainability and global public health are two sides of the same challenge.
Convened by APSCC with Prof. A. Chella Perumal (Pondicherry University, India) and Prof. Andrew J. Russell (Durham University, UK), the seminar placed SDG 3 — "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages" at the centre of an interdisciplinary conversation on how healthy people and a healthy planet are inseparable.
The environment–health link
The seminar opened by tracing the deep connections between environmental conditions and human health. Air quality, access to clean water, the availability of green spaces, and a changing climate all shape the global disease burden — from respiratory illness and water-borne disease to the mental-health benefits of nature. Framing health this way makes clear that sustainability is not a competing priority to public health, but a precondition for it.
APSCC's holistic approach
Reflecting APSCC's wider mission, the discussion connected campus sustainability directly to community well-being. Greener, cleaner campuses — with better air, water, waste management and green cover — become living demonstrations of how environmental stewardship translates into healthier communities. This holistic approach positions health as an outcome of sustainable living rather than a separate goal.
SDG 3 in India's context
Grounding the global framework locally, the seminar examined SDG 3 within India's public-health landscape. Key health priorities highlighted included reducing maternal and child mortality, combating communicable and non-communicable diseases, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting mental health — with education and community engagement identified as decisive levers for progress.
Keynotes
Prof. A. Chella Perumal (Pondicherry University) addressed India's public-health challenges and the role of education in building healthy communities. Prof. Andrew J. Russell (Durham University, UK) brought a global-health perspective, examining health disparities across nations and the value of interdisciplinary approaches that bridge medicine, anthropology and environmental science.
Panel discussions
Panel sessions widened the lens to three inter-linked themes: the environment–health–sustainability nexus, the challenges of achieving universal health coverage, and emerging innovations in mental health. Together they underscored that durable health outcomes depend on systems thinking that spans policy, environment, education and care.
A healthy planet and healthy people are not separate goals — they are the same goal, seen from two angles.
Aligned with the SDGs
The seminar aligned with the following Sustainable Development Goals — connecting health with sustainable communities, climate action and global partnership:
Event: APSCC Seminar on Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3), with Pondicherry University and Durham University (UK) · 30 April 2019, Puducherry.