3. Good Health And Well-Being
POLICY 1. HEALTH AND WELL-BEING STRATEGY
Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA) recognises health, safety and well-being as integral elements of its sustainable-development mission. The University commits to promoting physical, mental and social well-being among students, staff and the wider community through systematic prevention, education, health-promotion programmes and evidence-based interventions. KNUCA integrates the principles of SDG 3 into teaching, research and campus management, ensuring that every educational and research process supports healthy lifestyles, disease prevention, and access to health services.
The institutional Health and Well-Being Strategy is based on equality, non-discrimination, inclusiveness, and resilience. It establishes mechanisms for cooperation with public-health institutions, hospitals, mental-health centres and NGOs, ensuring professional counselling, vaccination campaigns, sexual and reproductive-health education, first-aid training, and emergency-preparedness drills. The University Health and Safety Office and the Department of Social Development jointly monitor occupational health indicators, accident prevention, ergonomic working conditions, and environmental safety in laboratories and workshops. Annual public reports confirm compliance with national occupational-safety regulations and WHO health-promotion principles.
Key concepts reflected in this policy include: healthcare access, public health, occupational health, vaccination, immunization, disease prevention, healthy diet, physical activity, mental health support, well-being education, work-life balance, resilience and universal health coverage.
POLICY 2. STUDENT HEALTH AND WELL-BEING PROGRAMME
KNUCA implements a comprehensive Student Health and Well-Being Programme providing access to medical, psychological and preventive services. The Student Medical Centre operates under partnership agreements with Kyiv municipal clinics, offering first medical assistance, vaccination referrals and health screening. Psychological counselling is provided free of charge by certified specialists and university volunteers trained in crisis communication and suicide-prevention skills.
Regular campaigns such as “Healthy Campus – Healthy Nation”, “Active Breaks”, and “Mental Health Week” promote stress management, healthy diets, sports and social connection. Physical-activity infrastructure includes gyms, outdoor fitness zones and sports grounds open to all students and staff. The programme integrates health education into orientation courses, embedding awareness of nutrition, substance-abuse prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and safe behaviour. All events are documented on the university news portal, satisfying the public-evidence requirement of the THE methodology.
POLICY 3. STAFF HEALTH SUPPORT AND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
The University provides equitable access to occupational-health services for academic, administrative and technical staff. Preventive medical examinations are conducted annually according to national legislation. Occupational-risk assessments and workplace-safety audits are performed by the Safety and Labour Protection Department. Staff members may consult medical specialists or psychologists confidentially; personal data are handled in accordance with GDPR-compliant procedures.
KNUCA promotes a culture of well-being through ergonomic workspaces, flexible scheduling during rehabilitation or pregnancy, and dedicated training on healthy ageing, stress management and prevention of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases. Campaigns under the “Healthy Workplace” initiative address smoking cessation, alcohol-abuse prevention, and physical-activity encouragement. Accident-reporting systems and feedback channels ensure transparency and accountability.
Keywords implemented: occupational health, workplace safety, mental health for staff, disease prevention, well-being, ergonomics, non-discrimination, inclusiveness, health equity.
POLICY 4. MENTAL-HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES
Recognising mental health as fundamental to academic performance and quality of life, KNUCA maintains an integrated Mental-Health Support System. It comprises a confidential counselling service, peer-support networks, hotline access, and collaboration with national mental-health NGOs. The programme addresses anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, and post-conflict stress common among the Ukrainian academic community.
Preventive components include stress-management workshops, mindfulness sessions, art-therapy events, and informational lectures during Mental Health Awareness Month. The “My Calm Is My Strength” conference unites psychologists, educators, and student leaders to share good practices. The policy aligns with THE indicator 3.3.5 and 3.3.7 on mental-health support for students and staff, ensuring evidence of existence, implementation and public access.
POLICY 5. HEALTH-RELATED EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
KNUCA integrates health and sustainability themes across disciplines. Undergraduate and postgraduate curricula include courses on environmental health, occupational safety, ergonomics, and sustainable urban planning. Research centres conduct projects in air-quality monitoring, noise reduction, and indoor-climate optimisation, contributing to global knowledge on healthy living environments.
The University encourages interdisciplinary research under SDG 3 through participation in Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ projects, joint publications, and student research competitions. All conference proceedings and open-access papers are indexed in the institutional repository, contributing to SDG 3.1 research metrics (paper views, clinical citations, publications). Research outputs are linked to key Elsevier SDG 3 keywords such as public health, urban health, air pollution, injury prevention, health equity, ageing well, telemedicine, and healthcare access
POLICY 6. HEALTH-PROMOTING CAMPUS AND SPORTS FACILITIES
KNUCA is committed to developing a health-promoting physical environment in line with WHO’s Healthy Universities Framework. The campus provides free access to sports facilities, open gyms, green spaces, walking routes and recreation areas. Student-sport clubs and athletic competitions encourage regular physical activity, inclusiveness and teamwork.
The University implements energy-efficient lighting, air-quality monitoring and ergonomically designed classrooms to support eye and respiratory health. Collaboration with the Student Sports Union of Ukraine enables participation in national fitness events and FISU Healthy Campus programmes. Data on participation rates and facility upgrades are publicly reported to support transparency and THE 3.3.3 indicator on shared sports facilities.
POLICY 7. COMMUNITY HEALTH AND OUTREACH PROGRAMMES
Through partnerships with healthcare institutions, local governments and NGOs, KNUCA conducts outreach initiatives focused on community health improvement. University volunteers organise blood-donation drives, vaccination-promotion campaigns, and environmental clean-up events aimed at preventing vector-borne diseases. Architecture and civil-engineering faculties collaborate on projects designing inclusive urban spaces that improve accessibility for persons with disabilities and older adults.
The outreach model follows principles of health equity, inclusion and social responsibility, contributing to indicators 3.3.1 and 3.3.2 of THE methodology — collaboration with health institutions and community-health programmes.
POLICY 8. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION
KNUCA provides comprehensive sexual- and reproductive-health education to students, aligned with national and WHO standards. Lectures, interactive sessions and online resources address topics such as contraception, sexually transmitted infections, gender equality, family planning, and consent. Collaboration with public clinics ensures free and confidential consultation services.
Campaigns during International Women’s Health Day and World AIDS Day raise awareness and promote prevention. This policy contributes directly to THE indicator 3.3.4 and SDG targets 3.7 and 3.8, integrating keywords sexual and reproductive health, family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention, gender equality, and health education.
POLICY 9. EMERGENCY AND FIRST-AID PREPAREDNESS
To ensure campus resilience and public safety, KNUCA maintains an Emergency Health Preparedness Plan. It includes first-aid training, automated external defibrillator (AED) points, fire-safety drills, and cooperation with emergency-medical services. Annual exercises are coordinated with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, ensuring readiness to respond to injuries, cardiac arrest, or disaster situations.
Students and staff complete certified First Aid and CPR Courses covering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), bleeding control and shock management. The policy contributes to campus resilience and aligns with THE indicator 3.3.3 on shared health and safety infrastructure.
POLICY 10. MONITORING, REPORTING AND TRANSPARENCY
All SDG 3 activities are coordinated by the Sustainability Office together with the Health and Safety Committee. Annual reports include quantitative data on student and staff participation, preventive examinations, mental-health consultations, vaccination coverage, accident frequency, and physical-activity indicators. Public access to these reports is provided via the University’s Transparency and Sustainability Portal and the institutional repository.
The monitoring system applies continuous improvement principles and feedback analysis, ensuring that each intervention is evidence-based and publicly verifiable according to THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 criteria.
Keywords integrated: accountability, transparency, health data, evidence-based governance, evaluation, public reporting, sustainability monitoring.