In an ambitious new era for health development under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, WHO and its partners have a solid foundation of success on which to build. Health plays a fundamental role in development and is the central focus of Sustainable Development Goal 3, “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. It is also relevant to all the Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding the significance of the role of health is a prerequisite for successful collective action on the social, economic and environmental determinants of health