Each year, World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 as it marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (@who) in 1948.
Since taking effect in 1950, the celebration has aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the WHO. This year’s campaign urges for nations around the world to band together to build a fairer, healthier world.
As COVID-19 has highlighted, our world is an unequal one. Simply due to the conditions in which they are born, grow, live, work and age, some people are able to live healthier lives and have better access to health services than others.
While COVID-19 has hit all countries hard, its impact has been harshest on communities that were already vulnerable - ones who have greater exposure to the disease, less access to quality healthcare services, and are more likely to experience adversity due to pandemic mitigation measures.
As the WHO explains: “This is not only unfair: it is preventable. That’s why we are calling on leaders to ensure that everyone has living and working conditions that are conducive to good health. At the same time, we urge leaders to monitor health inequities, and to ensure that all people are able to access quality health services when and where they need them.”
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