1. Executive summary
The University of Science and Technology – Yemen (UST-Yemen) demonstrates a university-wide commitment to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) through research, teaching, outreach, and formal partnerships that improve health outcomes locally and nationally.
In 2024, UST consolidated its role as a health-sector leader in Yemen by:
- Establishing and strengthening institutional collaborations with national health authorities and NGOs to deliver accessible healthcare and preventive programs.
- Conducting large-scale community health and awareness campaigns serving thousands of citizens.
- Expanding mental-health and psychological-support programs for students and staff.
- Sharing its sports and wellness facilities with the public to encourage physical activity.
- Producing peer-reviewed research addressing disease prevention, epidemiology, nutrition, and health-system resilience.
Together, these initiatives advance population health, capacity-building, and sustainable healthcare systems across Yemen, directly contributing to SDG 3 and related goals such as SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
2. Institutional strategy and approach
UST’s health strategy aligns teaching, research, and service with community needs through four integrated domains:
- Medical education and capacity building – ensuring that future healthcare professionals receive practice-based training tied to community service.
- Community health outreach – delivering preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic services through free medical camps and mobile clinics.
- Research and innovation – producing evidence that informs national health policy and strengthens health-system resilience.
- Well-being and mental health – promoting psychosocial support, wellness, and physical-activity programs for students, staff, and the public.
This holistic approach embeds SDG 3 in the university’s operational and academic culture.
3. Learning & student experience — education for better health outcomes
Medical and health sciences programs at UST integrate sustainable-health principles, preventive care, and public-health leadership training.
- The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences collaborates with local hospitals, the National Cancer Control Foundation, and the Supreme Authority for Drugs and Medical Supplies to provide clinical placements, workshops, and research-based training.
- The Center for Medical Education and Training (CMET) develops faculty-development programs and joint training modules with international partners, improving teaching quality and aligning curricula with WHO and SDG health competencies.
- Interdisciplinary teaching in nutrition, pharmacy, and public-health programs equips students with knowledge on hygiene, mental-health literacy, maternal care, and family planning.
Impact: By integrating community engagement and evidence-based practice into curricula, UST produces healthcare graduates capable of addressing Yemen’s evolving health challenges and extending essential services to underserved populations.
4. Research & innovation — evidence for healthier societies
Between 2023 and 2025, UST scholars produced more than 30 peer-reviewed studies linked to SDG 3.
(Selected 2024–2025 items that directly relate to SDG 3 themes; full list available in the SDG_Research.docx.)
- Clinical research and diagnostics
- Accuracy of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology in evaluation of thyroid nodules — Cytopathology, 2024. (Diagnostic practice and clinical capacity building).
- Comparison of risk factors, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and bacterial etiology between early-onset and late-onset neonatal sepsis in Sana’a City, Yemen — BMC Pediatrics, 2025 (study with Yemen data and neonatal health implications).
- Infectious disease & vaccines
- Key cytokines and hematological parameters in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Hodeidah, Yemen — Cytokine, 2023 (ongoing malaria research with regional relevance).
- COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among healthcare workers in Yemen — Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2023 (vaccine attitudes among health workers).
- Public health, nutrition & maternal health
- Insights and perceptions: pregnant women’s knowledge regarding medication usage during pregnancy — PLOS ONE, 2024 (maternal health knowledge and safety).
- Various studies on anemia, malnutrition and pediatric infectious diseases in Yemen present in the compilation (relevant to SDG-3 targets on maternal and child health).
- Health systems, training & clinical knowledge
- The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Enhancing Clinical Knowledge of Physicians and Pharmacists Regarding Statins and Monitoring Parameters — Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 2024 (clinical training, guideline implementation).
- Public health surveillance & One Health
- Studies on neglected tropical diseases and water-/sanitation-linked disease (e.g., schistosomiasis, dengue) that inform community health interventions.
These peer-reviewed outputs (2024–2025) show UST academics are actively producing evidence and interventions that align with SDG-3 targets (disease control, maternal/child health, clinical capacity and health systems). The uploaded SDG_Research.docx is the primary evidence bundle used for these citations.
Research themes include:
| Research focus | Example outputs (2023–2025) | SDG 3 relevance |
| Communicable-disease epidemiology | Studies on malaria, dengue fever, schistosomiasis, and tuberculosis prevalence among Yemeni populations. | Informs disease-control programs and public-health policies. |
| Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) | Research on diabetes management, cancer screening, and oral-health correlations with systemic disease. | Supports preventive-care and health-promotion strategies. |
| Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) | Scoping review on oral health and clean-water access (2024). | Demonstrates cross-linkages between WASH and health outcomes. |
| Nutrition & wellbeing | Reviews on dietary patterns, legume consumption, and food-security determinants. | Contributes to nutrition education and prevention of diet-related illness. |
| Mental-health and psychosocial studies | Surveys of stress, coping, and resilience among university students. | Underpins design of on-campus counselling and awareness programs. |
Research findings are disseminated through conferences (including العلوم الإدارية والتنمية المستدامة / Administrative Sciences and Sustainable Development Conference) and the annual Distance Learning Conference, ensuring wide academic and community impact.
5. Enriching our communities — outreach and direct service delivery
a. Free medical and health-awareness camps
- “المخيم الطبي الأول / First Medical Camp (2024)” delivered multi-specialty diagnostic and treatment services—covering general medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, dentistry, ophthalmology, nutrition, and mental-health counselling—to over 8,000 community members in Aden.
- The camp integrated 515 nutrition consultations, preventive screenings, and referrals.
- Students and faculty collaborated with local health authorities, providing experiential learning and immediate public benefit.
b. Ongoing community-health campaigns
UST conducts continuous awareness programmes addressing hygiene, vaccination, family planning, maternal health, and chronic-disease prevention. Student volunteers, supervised by faculty, deliver workshops and mobile-clinic sessions across Aden and neighbouring regions.
c. Mental-health support initiatives
- On-campus Psychological-Counselling Services provide individual and group sessions for students (male and female), offering coping and stress-management guidance.
- World Mental Health Day (2024) raised awareness about psychological wellbeing among students and staff.
- Mental-Health Guidance Tour (2024) visited departments to educate students about early recognition of psychological challenges and available support channels.
- For staff, Mental-Health Workshops focused on workplace stress and emotional wellbeing, enhancing the university’s supportive environment.
d. Collaboration with health institutions and NGOs
UST formalized multi-level partnerships to extend healthcare access:
| Partner institution | Collaboration focus | Outcomes (2024) |
| National Cancer Control Foundation (Yemen) | Awareness and early-detection campaigns on cancer prevention. | Public workshops; early-screening referrals. |
| Supreme Authority for Drugs and Medical Supplies – Aden | Access to essential medicines and pharmaceutical-quality assurance. | Joint seminars and distribution coordination. |
| Local Hospitals & Clinics | Clinical-training partnerships for students. | Expanded internship placements and service coverage. |
| International training institutions via CMET | Faculty-development and knowledge exchange. | Improved teaching and continuing medical education. |
e. Sports and wellness engagement
UST enhances community wellbeing by sharing sports facilities (football, volleyball, basketball courts, and gymnasia) with local schools and youth clubs.
Joint tournaments, recreational events, and fitness programs encourage healthy lifestyles and social inclusion, integrating student volunteers as coaches and facilitators.
6. Policy engagement & partnerships
Through its medical faculties and research centres, UST collaborates with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, contributing to policy dialogues on:
- Pharmacovigilance and rational-drug use.
- Cancer-prevention strategies and screening programs.
- National immunisation and nutrition policies.
- Strengthening data-collection systems in health institutions.
UST’s evidence-based recommendations—derived from its epidemiological and clinical research—inform national health priorities and reinforce Yemen’s resilience in public-health emergencies.
7. Performance indicators & 2024 highlights
| Indicator | 2024 Result | Evidence / Source |
| Number of community members receiving direct health services | > 8,000 (Free Medical Camp) | UST outreach reports. SDG-1 TIMES Ranking |
| Distinct health collaborations active | 5 (National & international) | MoUs & media coverage. |
| Mental-health awareness events conducted | 3 (Students & staff) | UST website & Facebook posts. |
| Peer-reviewed research outputs related to SDG 3 (2023–25) | ≥ 30 published | SDG Research file. |
| Public use of sports facilities (events per year) | 15 community events | UST Campus Life announcements. |
8. Case studies
Case Study 1 – Integrated Medical Camp, Aden (2024)
- Provided multi-disciplinary health services and nutrition counselling.
- Mobilised > 800 volunteers and staff.
- Strengthened university–community trust and practical learning for medical students.
Case Study 2 – Mental Health Support Network (2024)
- Established ongoing psychological-counselling services.
- Conducted awareness events and departmental tours.
- Enhanced student resilience and academic performance.
Case Study 3 – Sports for Well-being Program (2024)
- Partnered with local youth clubs to host sports tournaments and fitness workshops.
- Encouraged active lifestyles and community cohesion through shared facilities.
9. Challenges & mitigation
| Challenge | Mitigation strategy |
| Limited resources and fragile health infrastructure | Partner with NGOs and leverage volunteer networks. |
| Shortage of qualified medical staff | Expand CMET training and faculty-exchange programs. |
| Mental-health stigma | Continuous awareness campaigns and confidential support services. |
| Funding instability | Develop philanthropic and donor partnerships for sustainability. |
10. 2025 priorities
- Scale community-health camps to ≥ 3 governorates, targeting 15,000 beneficiaries.
- Publish ≥ 5 policy-oriented papers translating UST research into national health strategies.
- Expand tele-health training through distance-learning platforms for remote clinicians.
- Institutionalise mental-health tracking via anonymous well-being surveys and annual support audits.
- Increase sports-for-health initiatives and inclusive recreational programs with local schools.
11. Conclusion
In 2024, the University of Science and Technology – Yemen solidified its leadership in promoting public health, preventive medicine, and psychological well-being through integrated education, research, and outreach. Its strategic partnerships with national and international health institutions, large-scale community medical services, student and staff mental-health programs, and open sports facilities demonstrate a tangible and sustained contribution to SDG 3. Despite Yemen’s challenging environment, UST’s evidence-driven and service-oriented model continues to improve lives, foster health equity, and advance national development priorities.