Rethinking social action through the info-ecological dimensions of two collaborative public health platforms: the people’s health movement and the citizen sense project platforms as examples of health-net-activism – Frontiers

 

Report on the Role of Digital Platforms in Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the transformative impact of digital platforms on social and health engagement, examined through an info-ecological framework. It focuses on how these platforms facilitate new forms of data-driven social action, termed “net-activism,” which directly contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By analyzing two case studies—the People’s Health Movement Platform (PHMP) and the Citizen Sense Project Platform (CSPP)—this report demonstrates how digital ecosystems are advancing key global objectives. The analysis places significant emphasis on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), illustrating how platformization is creating the collaborative infrastructure necessary to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

The Platform Society: A New Framework for Sustainable Development

Digital Platforms as Ecosystems for Global Change

The proliferation of digital platforms has created a “platform society,” where online ecosystems are fundamentally integrated with societal structures. These platforms are not merely technological tools but are dynamic environments that shape social, cultural, and economic practices. This evolution provides a powerful new framework for addressing global challenges by creating interconnected, more-than-human ecosystems of people, data, and the environment. Such info-ecologies enable collaborative action and data co-creation, moving beyond simple information consumption to foster a participatory culture essential for sustainable development.

Fostering Net-Activism for the Global Goals

Within this platform society, a new form of social engagement, or “net-activism,” has emerged. This model is characterized by its connective, networked, and non-hierarchical nature, where action is the result of synergy between multiple human and non-human agencies (e.g., data, sensors). This approach directly supports the implementation of the SDGs by:

• Mobilizing diverse stakeholders across geographical boundaries.
• Democratizing the production and use of data for advocacy and policy change.
• Creating transparent and accessible public spaces for collaboration.

This model of networked collaboration is a practical embodiment of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which calls for multi-stakeholder partnerships to mobilize and share knowledge, technology, and resources to support the achievement of the SDGs in all countries.

Analysis of Digital Health Platforms and their Alignment with the SDGs

The following case studies exemplify how digital platforms function as info-ecologies of net-activism, driving progress on specific Sustainable Development Goals.

Case Study 1: The People’s Health Movement Platform (PHMP)

The PHMP is a global network of grassroots health activists, academic institutions, and civil society organizations dedicated to achieving universal and equitable healthcare. It functions as a trans-organic ecosystem, combining human advocacy with data-driven campaigns.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The platform’s core mission is to promote comprehensive primary healthcare and address the social, environmental, and economic determinants of health, directly aligning with Target 3.8 to achieve universal health coverage. Its focus on issues like nutrition and food sovereignty further supports SDG 3.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By concentrating its efforts in low and middle-income countries and advocating for equitable health systems, the PHMP actively works to reduce health-related inequalities within and among countries.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The platform includes dedicated campaigns and data-gathering initiatives focused on gender justice and health, contributing to the empowerment of women and girls.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): PHMP empowers civil society by encouraging active participation in the development and evaluation of health policies, promoting the responsive, inclusive, and participatory decision-making called for in Target 16.7.

Case Study 2: The Citizen Sense Project Platform (CSPP)

The CSPP is a citizen science initiative that uses environmental sensing technologies to engage the public in monitoring environmental quality. The project aims to democratize the collection and use of environmental data to foster greater public participation in addressing environmental issues for improved public health.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The platform directly contributes to Target 11.6, which aims to reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, particularly concerning air quality. Through citizen-led pollution sensing and urban sensing projects, it promotes urban sustainability from the bottom up.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): By enabling citizens to monitor and report on air and water pollutants, the CSPP addresses Target 3.9, which seeks to substantially reduce deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and pollution.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): The monitoring of pollutants, which are often linked to the drivers of climate change, provides valuable data that can inform climate action and raise public awareness.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The platform is a prime example of citizen science fostering partnerships between communities, researchers, and potentially policymakers, thereby democratizing science and data for the common good.

A Framework for Net-Activism in Achieving the 2030 Agenda

The analysis of the PHMP and CSPP reveals a set of common characteristics that define net-activism as a powerful model for advancing the SDGs. This framework moves beyond traditional, linear forms of action to a more dynamic, interconnected approach suitable for the complexity of the 2030 Agenda.

Key Characteristics of SDG-Oriented Net-Activism:

1. Ecologically Organized Action: Net-activism operates within an ecosystem of people, data, and environmental features. This mirrors the indivisible nature of the SDGs, where progress in one area depends on progress in others.
2. Trans-Organic Collaboration: It integrates organic (human) and inorganic (data, algorithms, sensors) agencies. This allows for evidence-based advocacy that can, for instance, connect environmental data (SDG 11) directly to health outcomes (SDG 3).
3. Multi-Stakeholder Representation: The model connects diverse localities and stakeholders without a central authority, embodying the global partnership principle of SDG 17.
4. Connective and Non-Hierarchical Structure: Action occurs within the network, not as a top-down directive. This fosters the inclusive and participatory approach required to build the strong institutions of SDG 16.
5. Synergistic Impact: The effectiveness of net-activism arises from the synergy of multiple human and non-human interactions, reflecting how the SDGs are designed to be achieved through interconnected, rather than isolated, efforts.

Conclusion: The Role of Info-Ecologies in the 2030 Agenda

Digital platforms are creating info-ecologies that serve as critical infrastructure for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Platforms like PHMP and CSPP demonstrate a shift from traditional social action to a networked, collaborative model of net-activism. This new paradigm is uniquely suited to addressing the complex and interconnected challenges of the 2030 Agenda.

By facilitating the co-creation of knowledge, empowering citizens, and connecting diverse stakeholders, these digital ecosystems are reimagining social action as a collaborative and trans-organic endeavor. This model of net-activism, built on principles of partnership, inclusion, and data-driven accountability, offers a powerful pathway toward a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues related to public health, environmental quality, education, inequality, and technological partnerships, which connect to several Sustainable Development Goals. The following SDGs are addressed:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The core theme of the article is health, focusing on “public health” platforms, “health activism,” achieving a “healthier world,” and monitoring health-related data.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The People’s Health Movement Platform (PHMP) provides educational activities and training courses to health activists, democratizing knowledge beyond traditional academic institutions.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The PHMP is mentioned as having a campaign dedicated to “gender justice and health,” directly addressing gender-related issues within the health sector.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article is fundamentally about the role of “digital platforms,” “sensing technology,” and “digitalization” in creating new forms of social activism and providing access to information and data.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article highlights efforts to create a “more equal” world, with platforms like PHMP focusing on “low and middle-income nations” and advocating for “fair access to care” and “equal access to crucial technology.”
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The Citizen Sense Project Platform (CSPP) is explicitly focused on “urban sensing,” “urban sustainability,” and monitoring “air quality” to improve the urban quality of life.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The CSPP’s work on monitoring pollution and environmental disturbances is linked to broader global issues, including “climate change,” and aims to raise environmental consciousness.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Both platforms described are multi-stakeholder networks, bringing together “grassroots health activists, civil society organizations, and academic institutions” to share knowledge, data, and technology for common goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the activities and goals of the platforms described in the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage.
   • The PHMP’s primary purpose is described as achieving “universal access to health care” and ensuring “fair access to care.”
2. Target 3.9: Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • The CSPP’s work involves using sensing technology to “monitor air quality levels,” identify “air and water pollution,” and assess “contaminants exposure for participatory public health.”
3. Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
   • The PHMP offers a course, “The Struggle for Health,” which provides “health activist trainings free to all citizens” and fosters knowledge sharing on topics like sustainable development and health as a fundamental right.
4. Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality.
   • The PHMP runs a “campaign using data on gender justice and health,” which represents an advocacy effort to influence policies related to gender equality in health.
5. Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology.
   • The entire article revolves around the use of digital platforms and technologies to “democratize the collecting and utilization of environmental sensor data” and provide citizens with access to information and tools for engagement.
6. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all.
   • The PHMP is a global network that operates in over 70 countries, with a focus on “low and middle-income nations,” aiming to encourage “group participation in the development, implementation, and evaluation of all health and social policies.”
7. Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality.
   • The CSPP’s “urban sensing” initiatives directly address this target by employing sensor technology to “monitor air quality” and promote “urban sustainability.”
8. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
   • The CSPP aims to “promote new forms of environmental consciousness and activity” by engaging citizens in sensing projects that link local pollution to global issues like “climate change.”
9. Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships.
   • Both platforms are described as “network of networks” and multi-stakeholder collaborations involving “civil society organizations, and academic institutions” that “mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology.”
10. Target 17.18: Increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data.
    • The CSPP’s core function is to “democratize the collecting and utilization of environmental sensor data” through citizen science, thereby generating “crowd-sourced data sets” on environmental pollutants.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• For Target 3.9: The CSPP’s work directly generates data that serves as an indicator.
  • Indicator: Data on “air quality levels” and “environmental pollutants” collected by citizen sensors. This aligns with the official indicator 3.9.1 (Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution) by providing the underlying data for risk assessment.
• For Target 4.7: The educational activities of the PHMP provide measurable outcomes.
  • Indicator: The number of participants (“enrollees”) in the “Struggle for Health” course and the number of countries represented by the participants and faculty.
• For Target 10.2: The reach of the PHMP can be quantified.
  • Indicator: The number of countries, particularly “low and middle-income nations,” where the PHMP operates and mobilizes activists.
• For Target 11.6: The CSPP’s urban projects provide a direct metric.
  • Indicator: Measured levels of air pollution in urban areas collected through the “Airkit” and other sensing toolkits. This aligns with the official indicator 11.6.2 (Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter in cities).
• For Target 17.16: The structure of the platforms themselves serves as an indicator.
  • Indicator: The number and diversity of stakeholders (e.g., “civil society organizations, academic institutions, grassroots activists”) participating in the PHM and CSP platforms.
• For Target 17.18: The output of the citizen science projects is a key indicator.
  • Indicator: The volume and type of “crowd-sourced data sets” on environmental conditions generated and shared through the CSPP.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.8: Achieve universal health coverage. 3.9: Substantially reduce deaths and illnesses from pollution.	Number of countries where PHMP advocates for universal access. Data on “air quality levels” and “environmental pollutants” collected by CSPP.
SDG 4: Quality Education	4.7: Ensure all learners acquire knowledge for sustainable development.	Number of participants in PHMP’s “The Struggle for Health” course.
SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.c: Adopt and strengthen policies for gender equality.	Number of advocacy campaigns and data sets on “gender justice and health” produced by PHMP.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure	9.c: Significantly increase access to ICT.	Number of citizens engaged through digital platforms and sensing technologies.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.2: Empower and promote the inclusion of all.	Number of initiatives and participants from “low and middle-income nations” in the PHMP network.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, focusing on air quality.	Measured levels of air pollution in urban areas collected via CSPP’s “Airkit” and sensing projects.
SDG 13: Climate Action	13.3: Improve education and awareness-raising on climate change.	Number of citizen-sensing projects by CSPP raising “environmental consciousness.”
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	17.16: Enhance multi-stakeholder partnerships. 17.18: Increase the availability of high-quality, timely, and reliable data.	Number and diversity of stakeholders in the PHM and CSP networks. Volume of “crowd-sourced data sets” generated by CSPP.

Source: frontiersin.org