Relationships between SDG 3 and SDGs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 12 for VCE Health and Human Development Unit 4 AoS 2

Average 1.8 out of 6; 26 per cent scored zero.

What the marks needed

The report said many students "only displayed a basic understanding of SDG 3 and SDG 1 without showing meaningful links between them". Full marks required examples showing how achieving SDG 3 can influence SDG 1 and how achieving SDG 1 can influence SDG 3.

SDG 1 concepts to use (report)

Social protection / welfare payments / government assistance; access to resources (food, shelter, water, clothing); ending extreme poverty; reducing the number of families living in poverty; reducing relative poverty; being able to afford health care and education.

High-scoring response (report, summarised)

Good health and wellbeing means universal access to health care such as vaccinations. People free from illness can work and earn an income, which increases the tax revenue governments can invest in social protection such as welfare payments, promoting no poverty (SDG 1). Eradicating extreme poverty (SDG 1) means people can afford health-promoting resources such as nutritious food like vegetables, strengthening the immune system and reducing the risk of communicable diseases such as malaria, promoting good health and wellbeing (SDG 3).

For 2026

The 2022 response quoted the old 1.90 dollar a day line. The VCAA FAQ says the World Bank's US$3.00 a day line (June 2025) is the only value to use in 2026.

Source: 2022 VCE Health and Human Development examination, Question 13a, and the 2022 examiners' report.

Average 0.7 out of 2; 56 per cent scored zero. Part b (a WHO strategic priority) is on WHO priorities and work.

What the marks needed. Most students could identify an SDG, but many did not describe it accurately: "Simply restating the name of the goal did not provide enough detail to receive a mark." The report singled out SDG 4: writing that "children can be educated about HIV prevention" does not reflect specific features of the goal. Give the SDG's name, not just its number.

High-scoring response (report, summarised). Quality education, which focuses on ensuring all youth and adults have adequate literacy and numeracy skills, can reduce HIV/AIDS because people who are educated and have higher health literacy are more likely to have safe sex and protect themselves against HIV/AIDS.

Other goals work if you describe a feature of the goal, for example SDG 5 'Gender equality', which includes universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, so women can access HIV prevention and testing; or SDG 1 'No poverty', which includes social protection and access to basic services, so people can afford HIV testing and treatment.

Source: 2023 VCE Health and Human Development examination, Question 12a, and the 2023 examiners' report.

Average 1.5 out of 4; 34 per cent scored zero.

What the marks needed (report)

Examples from the case study showing how SDG 4 contributes to SDG 3, with an understanding of both goals and two key features of SDG 3. Most students linked to SDG 3 features, but "many did not demonstrate understanding of SDG 4".

SDG 4 features the report accepted

Free primary and secondary education (all children complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education); equal access to quality pre-primary education; universal literacy and numeracy; building and upgrading inclusive and safe schools and education facilities.

SDG 3 features the report listed

End preventable deaths under 5; reduce mortality from NCDs and/or promote mental health; fight communicable diseases / end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases; universal health coverage; research and access to affordable vaccines and medicines; universal access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning and education; reduce maternal mortality.

High-scoring response (report, summarised)

Achieving SDG 4 means all children gain basic literacy and numeracy. Reducing school dropouts in Pakistan means children can read health information about protecting themselves from infectious diseases such as waterborne diseases, so they are less likely to drink unsafe water, helping to end epidemics of communicable diseases (SDG 3). Achieving SDG 4 also means girls have equal access to education, so girls in Pakistan who stay in school despite floods are less likely to be forced into child marriage and early pregnancy, reducing maternal mortality (SDG 3).

Source: 2024 VCE Health and Human Development examination, Question 10d, and the 2024 examiners' report.

Marks guide (Original, modelled on the 2025 examiners' report). About 2 marks per key feature: an aspect of SDG 6 described accurately, linked by cause and effect to a named key feature of SDG 3.

This mirrors the third bullet of the 10-mark 2025 VCAA Section B question (average 3.7 out of 10), set out verbatim on Factors affecting global health. The report's guidance for that bullet:

SDG 6 aspects (report)

WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene); access to safe and affordable water; ending open defecation; access to sanitation; improving water quality/treatment; expanding water and sanitation facilities in low-income countries; participation of local communities in water and sanitation management.

SDG 3 key features (report)

Reduce maternal mortality; end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5; end water-borne disease and other communicable diseases; reduce illness and death from hazardous chemicals and pollution; reduce non-communicable diseases (musculoskeletal problems due to carrying water).

Model answer (drawn from the report's high-scoring response)

Achieving access to safe and affordable drinking water (SDG 6) means fewer people drink contaminated water and fall ill with water-borne diseases such as cholera, helping to end the epidemics of communicable diseases (SDG 3). Ensuring access to sanitation such as flushing toilets reduces open defecation and diarrhoeal disease, especially in children, helping to end preventable deaths of children under 5 (SDG 3).

Model answer. SDG 6 aims to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 (1 mark), so that people no longer rely on contaminated sources such as rivers and unprotected wells (1 mark for the outline).

Marking: 1 mark for an accurate feature, 1 mark for outlining what it involves. Naming the goal alone earns nothing.

Any two, each 1 mark: reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births; end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5; end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat water-borne diseases; reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one third; achieve universal health coverage; substantially reduce deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution.

SDG 2 feature (1 mark)

ending all forms of malnutrition, including stunting and wasting in children under 5.

Link (1 mark)

well-nourished children have stronger immune systems, so they are less likely to become seriously ill from diarrhoea, pneumonia or measles.

SDG 3 feature (1 mark)

this helps end preventable deaths of children under 5.

First link (2 marks). SDG 5 includes universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. Women who can access contraception and decide when to have children can space pregnancies and avoid pregnancy at a very young age, so fewer die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, reducing maternal mortality (SDG 3).

Second link (2 marks). SDG 5 includes eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. Less intimate partner and sexual violence means fewer injuries, less depression and anxiety, and lower risk of HIV transmission, helping end the AIDS epidemic and promoting mental health (SDG 3).

Marking: for each link, 1 mark for an accurate SDG 5 feature and 1 mark for a clear cause-and-effect chain to a named SDG 3 feature.

SDG 3 to SDG 1 (2 marks). Achieving universal health coverage means people can use health services without financial hardship, so families are not pushed into poverty by out-of-pocket costs, and healthy adults can work and earn an income, reducing the number of people living below the international poverty line of US$3.00 a day.

SDG 3 to SDG 4 (2 marks). Children protected from malaria and diarrhoeal disease miss fewer school days and can concentrate in class, so they are more likely to complete primary and secondary education and achieve literacy and numeracy.

SDG 12 feature (1 mark)

achieving the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes and significantly reducing their release to air, water and soil.

Mechanism (1 mark)

fewer toxic emissions and less contaminated water and soil mean people breathe cleaner air and drink and eat less contaminated water and food.

SDG 3 feature (1 mark)

this reduces deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution, such as respiratory disease, poisoning and some cancers.

Marks guide (Original, modelled on the 2022 examiners' advice for the SDG 1 version). Full marks need examples showing how achieving SDG 2 influences SDG 3 and how achieving SDG 3 influences SDG 2, with accurate features of both goals.

SDG 2 to SDG 3

Ending malnutrition, including stunting and wasting in children under 5, strengthens children's immune systems, so they are less likely to die from diarrhoea or pneumonia: this helps end preventable deaths of children under 5. Ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year also reduces anaemia in pregnant women, which lowers the risk of haemorrhage in childbirth and reduces maternal mortality.

SDG 3 to SDG 2

Ending epidemics of communicable diseases such as malaria means small-scale farmers are not too sick to plant and harvest, increasing agricultural productivity and incomes (an SDG 2 target), so households can buy and grow enough food. Healthy children absorb nutrients better when they are free of intestinal infections, reducing undernutrition.

Conclusion

Because each goal's progress feeds the other, investment in nutrition is also investment in health, and vice versa.