“COVID-19 and the Sustainable Development Goals: Societal Influence” explores how the coronavirus pandemic impacts the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), paying particular attention to socioeconomic and disaster risk management dimensions. Sections provide a foundational understanding of the virus and its risk factors, cover relevant mitigation measures for minimizing the spread of COVID-19, explore the virus’s originations and transmission mechanisms, and look at gold standard procedures for COVID-19 testing and antibody-based diagnosis. Final sections present the latest insights on the global effects of COVID-19 and examine potential future challenges, opportunities and strategic responses.

The Health Equity Research Center (HERC) had the honor of participating in this publication and compose the ninth chapter titled “COVID-19 pandemic: The fears and hopes for SDG 3, with focus on prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (SDG 3.4) and universal health coverage (SDG 3.8)”; which presents the current situation of the SDGs and UHC development during this pandemic and stresses on how noncommunicable diseases have been neglected and as a result have increased during these times. We hope that this publication brings a useful insights for healthcare researchers, policy-makers and decision-makers for future threats and pandemics.