World Health Day 2021 – ‘Building a fairer, healthier world’

World Health Day

7th April 2021

‘Building a fairer, healthier world’

World Health Day is celebrated on the 7th of April each year, marking the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. Every year, the occasion draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. In 2021, the focus is on investing in universal healthcare and the theme is ‘Building a fairer, healthier world’.

Covid-19 and World Health day: As COVID-19 has highlighted, some people are able to live healthier lives and have better access to health services than others – entirely due to the conditions in which they are born, grow, live, work and age. All over the world, some groups struggle to make ends meet, dwell in poorer housing conditions, are provided fewer education & employment opportunities, experience greater gender inequality, and have little or no access to safe environment, clean water, air, food security and health services. This leads to unacceptable suffering, avoidable illnesses, and premature deaths. It harms our societies and economies too.

Is this Preventable? It is preventable. That is why WHO is calling on leaders to ensure that everyone has living and working conditions that are conducive to good health.

Bridging health inequities: 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. COVID-19 has hit all countries hard, but its impact has been harshest on those communities which were already vulnerable, who are more exposed to the disease, less likely to have access to quality health care services and more likely to experience adverse consequences as a result of measures implemented to contain the pandemic.

On World Health Day 2021, WHO asserts that countries which invest in universal healthcare will make a sound investment in their human capital. Access to universal health care and financial protection will not only truly improve someone’s health and life expectancy, but also protect countries from epidemics, reduce poverty and the risk of hunger, create jobs, drive economic growth and enhance gender equality.

Even as the world crosses the 130 million mark of people who have tested positive for the Corona virus in over 200 countries, we re-dedicate ourselves at ICPH and Shanti Ashram to care for vulnerable communities especially children in our service villages and the wider Coimbatore region.

We at ICPH will be organizing interactive knowledge updates on health with adolescent girls and boys, leading community health clinics and partnering with the Indian Academy of Paediatrics to advocate for better health and wellbeing of children!

We at the International Center for Child and Public Health (ICPH) stand committed to realizing this call of WHO,

during this ongoing COVID 19 Pandemic and beyond,

to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can realize the right to good health.

More details: ENSURING-HEALTHY-LIFE-STYLE-WITH-ADOLESCENTS-Interactive-Workshop-to-mark-World-Health-Day-2021.pdf