Cooperatives are accelerating health and wellbeing

#IYC2025: Building a better world through health

World Health Day was marked on Monday 7 April, the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. This month is an opportunity to reflect on the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages - but there are significant challenges.

According to the UN, progress has slowed over the last 10 years in areas such as maternal mortality, premature deaths from major noncommunicable diseases, and access to essential healthcare. Inequalities persist, exacerbated by the climate crisis. To meet SDG3 targets by 2030, substantial investment and focus are needed – and cooperatives are uniquely positioned to contribute. This is demonstrated by the most recent ICA SDG Policy Brief on health and wellbeing, showcasing the impact of cooperatives in the area of health through data and case study examples.

“Health cooperatives are grounded in community values and our sense of local ownership,” says Dr Carlos Zarco, President, International Health Cooperative Organisation (IHCO), a sectoral organisation of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). “This allows us to tailor healthcare to the specific needs of the populations we serve.”

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READ THE SDG3 POLICY BRIEF ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING HERE

Health cooperatives building better lives

Early health cooperatives grew out of mutual aid societies and worker associations that began organising healthcare services for their members in response to limited and unequal access. Rooted in solidarity and collective action, these early efforts laid the foundation for a people-centred model of healthcare that continues to grow and diversify.

Today, health cooperatives provide essential health services, manage health facilities, expand access to insurance, support vulnerable populations, respond to health crises and champion data sovereignty and trust – and through this contribute to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and wellbeing.

Here are four examples of cooperatives active in this area around the world.

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Interview: Dr Rüdiger Krech

Dr Rüdiger Krech is Director of the World Health Organisation’s Health Promotion Department. What are his thoughts on SDG 3, and how co-ops can contribute to advancing health and wellbeing for all?

"If we keep people fit, happy and healthy, they are less likely to need to attend health services. Health is created in everyday life – where we live, where we grow, where we learn, where we play – and that has so much to do with cooperatives as well."

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

High-level policy engagement

During the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives, one of the ICA’s pillars of action is engaging with governments and policymakers to articulate and demonstrate cooperatives’ contributions to sustainable development and achieving the SDGs. Alongside its work with COPAC on the SDG Policy Briefs, the ICA and its regions and sectors are participating in a number of global events to promote and discuss the cooperative model with high-level decision-makers, in the lead up to the World Social Summit in Doha in November.

Three recent events were the Global Government Summit attended by Joseph Njuguna (ICA Policy Director), the VI World Forum on Local Economic Development, attended by Cooperatives Europe, and the UN meeting for stakeholders preparing the Food for Thought paper ahead of the World Social Summit, attended by Giuseppe Guerini (ICA Board Member and President of CECOP - CICOPA Europe) and Esteban Kelly (Chair of the NCBA CLUSA Board and Executive Director of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives).

READ MORE about the Global Government Summit
READ MORE about the VI World Forum on Local Economic Development
READ MORE about the Food for Thought Hearing

ICA attends IYC Celebrations

This month the ICA Board met in the Dominican Republic for a special session addressed by the country’s president, H.E. Luis Abinader, who reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting and promoting cooperatives during the International Year of Cooperatives. #IYC2025 was also marked by the Swedish Cooperative movement, which hosted two events highlighting the sector’s contribution to a more sustainable and inclusive business community – both in Sweden and globally. The event, hosted by Svensk Kooperation in collaboration with the ICA, was attended by the ICA’s Director-General, Jeroen Douglas, who talked about the power of cooperation around the world and why the UN has designated 2025 as the Year of Cooperatives.

READ MORE about the special session of the ICA Board Meeting
READ MORE about the Svensk Kooperation event

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Gallery

Celebrating #IYC2025

Here are some highlights of #CoopsYear celebrations from around the world... Click on each picture to find out more - and tag @icacoops / #IYC2025 to be featured next month!

Events

ICA Meet & Greet for Government Entities (7 May)
11th Technical Committee of the Africa Ministerial Cooperative Conference (TCAMCCO) (20-22 May)
Arizmendiarrieta Social Economy Think Tank Forum (28-30 May)
Cooperatives Europe General Assembly & Conference (1-3 June)
ICA General Assembly (2 July)
Festival of Co-operatives in Manchester and Rochdale (2-5 July)
International Day of Cooperatives (5 July)
ICA CCR 2025 Global Research Conference (8-11 July)
Cooperative Law Summer School (24-29 August)
Global Innovation Coop Summit (27-28 October)
Second World Social Summit (4-6 November)
10th EMES International Research Conference (3-7 November)

The articles in this newsletter related to international development are co-funded by the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the International Cooperative Alliance and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.