More than 41 million people die annually as a result of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally. Diabetes, for example, is one of the fastest growing health challenges of the 21st century. It is a global health crisis that is hitting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) the hardest. Today, nearly 350 million people in LMICs live with diabetes and 77% of these do not receive adequate care. That number is expected to grow to 450 million by 2030, putting immense pressure on healthcare workers and healthcare systems.

During the Lab, Teams working on SDG 3 focused on solutions for improving access to care, awareness, and prevention of NCDs, particularly for vulnerable populations.

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In 2015, mental health was included in the SDG framework, whereby the UN acknowledged the burden of disease of mental illness and defined mental health as a priority for global development leading up to 2030. Furthermore, the World Health Organization has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is triggering a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. The pandemic has especially affected the mental health of young people, who are disproportionally at risk of suicidal and self-harming behaviors.

Within this track Teams addressed SDG 3 by co-creating solutions for the prevention, diagnosis, and accessible treatment and care for mental health.

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schooling is a “generational catastrophe”. Before the pandemic, progress was already slow and insufficient to achieve the education targets and now the pandemic has wiped out the education gains achieved over the past 20 years.

The most vulnerable children and those unable to access remote learning are at increased risk of never returning to school and of being forced into child marriage or child labor. Disparities in access to education and learning outcomes persist across a range of education indicators, e.g., literacy rates between men and women or access to higher education between urban and rural.

Teams working on SDG 4 during the Lab came up with solutions to solve education challenges worldwide, by focusing on technology as an enabler of equitable and accessible education and training initiatives for all.

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Today, 40% of the world’s population faces water scarcity with ~$260 billion in economic opportunities lost annually due to lack of clean water access, climate change, increased pollution, and industrialization. Time spent gathering and seeking safe water sources is accounting for billions of lost economic opportunities annually. Disproportionally affecting children and women as they experience increased health challenges which impact mortality rates and ability to pursue education.

Teams working on SDG 6 developed solutions for current water and sanitation challenges by focusing on new initiatives to protect clean water sources, or to better manage our water use, for example.

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Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all will open a new world of opportunities for billions of people. Yet, today, 840 million people do not have access to energy. The lack of access isn’t the only challenge the energy sector is facing, but its reliance on fossil fuels is the main contributor to climate change. Changes need to be made to the way energy is produced and consumed. The opportunities that clean and renewable energy can create including new jobs and livelihoods should be a priority when addressing increasing access to energy. Also, the most remote communities get access to the needed energy.

Within this track, Teams focused on SDG 7 to create energy solutions for people living in rural areas or improving the skills needed for the transition to cleaner energy.

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Global warming has reached 1 degree above the pre-industrial baseline, contributing an estimated financial burden of ~$23 trillion by 2050, disproportionally impacting small island states and developing countries. On February 28, 2022, the IPCC issued its bleakest warning yet. About half the global population lives in areas “highly vulnerable” to climate change. Millions lose their homes, livelihoods, and families annually due to natural disasters. The occurrence of these events is accelerating, causing a global emergency.

Transitioning to a carbon-free future is urgent. Moreover, such a transition must be fair to all and protect especially vulnerable communities and those hardest hit by global warming.

During the Lab, Teams came up with new initiatives addressing SDG 13, for example with a focus on policy transformation, inspiring communities towards a more sustainable lifestyle, or using technology to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment.

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Nature and ocean conservation plays a critical role in our survival. Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems provide us amongst others with food, drinking water, oxygen, energy, and medicines. They regulate our climate, provide pollination to our crops, and reduce the impact of natural hazards.

However, we are experiencing continuous deterioration of our natural habitats. Human activity has altered almost 75% of the earth’s terrestrial surface, squeezing wildlife and nature into an ever-smaller corner of the planet. Ocean heat is at record levels and every year, up to 12 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean, damaging ecosystems around the world.

Teams working on SDG 14 & 15 during the Lab focused on developing innovative solutions for water management, such as sustainable agriculture practices, new mechanisms for waste disposal, and rainwater storage.

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UNLEASH Plus is a global solution incubator for the SDGs. Co-hosted with Chemonics International, the tailored and interactive 6-month program supports Teams to transform their early prototypes into real, launchable solutions contributing to a better, more sustainable future.

The top 25 Teams of the program joined the UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab in India, where they spent their time in an innovation bootcamp, working together with world-class experts and pitching their projects to potential funders.

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