SDG Series: SDG 3 – Cooperatives Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-being for All at All Ages

The International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 continues under the banner “Cooperatives Build a Better World”. Our movement plays a vital role in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Good Health and Well-Being.

In the second instalment of the policy brief series — Building a Better World Together: Cooperative Contributions to the SDGs – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages — co-produced by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), COPAC, and the regions including Cooperatives Europe, highlights this contribution.

Access to healthcare remains deeply unequal across the world, and Europe is not immune to these disparities. Health cooperatives show how a people-centred approach can expand access, support workers, and strengthen communities — delivering healthcare where public and private systems often fail.

The Cooperative Difference: Healthcare Rooted in Community

The policy brief underlines how the cooperative model strengthens healthcare by:

• Delivering essential services in areas overlooked by public and private actors

• Managing health facilities with a focus on patient care, not profit

• Supporting community-based health insurance schemes

• Strengthening health workers’ conditions and protecting patient data through cooperative governance

European Action in Focus: The OSFE Example

A strong example from our region is the Federation of Cooperative Pharmacists of Greece (OSFE). Representing over 5,000 pharmacists organised in 25 regional cooperatives, OSFE supplies more than half of Greece’s pharmaceutical needs.

OSFE’s model ensures the delivery of medicines across urban, rural, and island communities — plugging critical gaps in the national health system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OSFE mobilised swiftly to distribute face masks, self-tests, and scientific information, all while supporting members through ongoing education on safety protocols and treatment updates.

By balancing professional autonomy with community service and reinvestment, OSFE shows how cooperatives can build a resilient, decentralised health infrastructure rooted in public interest. Learn more about their work here.

Moving Forward: Strengthening Cooperatives in Health

Despite their impact, health cooperatives often face policy gaps and limited investment. Cooperatives Europe joins the call for:

• Stronger legal frameworks recognising cooperatives as key healthcare actors

• Easier access to finance for cooperative healthcare models

• Greater investment in education, training, and data on cooperatives’ contribution to SDG 3

• Strengthening Cooperative Networks and Advocacy

The IYC 2025 is a crucial opportunity to raise the voice of cooperatives in shaping sustainable healthcare systems. Cooperatives Europe stands ready to work with members, partners, and policymakers to drive this change.

Download the full policy brief here.

This article has been co-funded by the European Union. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of  Cooperatives Europe and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.