AboutWorld Health Day is a global health awareness day that brings attention to a specific health topic that concerns people all over the world.
This global celebration also marks the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948, when the First World Health Assembly was held. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, taking effect from 1950, as the World Health Day. Seen as an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health, the WHO organizes international, regional and local events on the Day related to a particular theme.
World Health Day is acknowledged by various governments and non-governmental organizations with interests in public health issues, who also organize activities and highlight their support in media reports.
2022 Theme: Our Planet, Our HealthThe theme for World Health Day 2022 is Our Planet, Our Health. In the midst of a pandemic, a polluted planet, increasing diseases like cancer, asthma, heart disease, this yearâs theme aims to bring attention on the urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. This includes the climate crisis which is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The climate crisis is also a health crisis.
Air pollution, on the other hand, is considered to be the single greatest environmental risk to human health. It is one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally, and yet it kills an estimated seven million people worldwide each year.Healthy societies rely on well-functioning ecosystems to provide clean air, fresh water, medicines and food security. These help to limit disease and stabilize the climate. Meanwhile, the main sources of air pollution and greenhouse gases are often the same. Most actions to improve air quality can also help fight climate change.
