75 Years Of Improving Public Health

The World Health Organization will observe its 75th anniversary on April 7. In 1948, countries of the world came together and founded WHO to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable—so everyone, everywhere, can attain the highest level of health and well-being. WHO’s 75th anniversary year is an opportunity to look back at public health successes that have improved quality of life during the last seven decades. It is also an opportunity to motivate action to tackle the health challenges of today and tomorrow.

As a famous quote, "Health is Wealth," speaks loudly, denoting health can be compared to wealth. If there is health, there is everything. Focusing on the health of individuals and communities, World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO) and some other related organizations. It is celebrated every year on the anniversary of the founding day of the World Health Organization. It’s a day to focus on and raise awareness about health issues that affect people all over the globe.

In 1948, the WHO held the First 

World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate April 7 of each year, with effect from 1950, as World Health Day. The World Health Day is held to mark WHO's founding and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.

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, which also organise activities and highlight their support in media reports, such as the Global Health Council.

History of World Health Day

The history of World Health Day is directly linked to the formation of the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization is an agency of the United Nations that focuses on the public health of the world at large. The WHO has a constitution that countries involved in the United Nations had an opportunity to sign and unanimously did, agreeing to the tenets laid out within to promote the general health of the globe.

Established in 1950, World Health Day is an important event that includes a theme each year that is meant to draw attention to a current health issue in the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has 194 member states that are tasked with putting together regional, local, and international events on this day related to the particular health theme. Local governments also tend to jump on this bandwagon of promoting health issues. After all, global health means everyone on the planet!

The World Health Organzation has been involved in mobilising many health efforts all over the world for the past 70 years by describing what medicines are essential for public health and which diseases to give a particular focus to.

One important success of the WHO was the movement to eradicate smallpox. It started in 1958, initiated by pressure from Viktor Zhdanov, the Deputy Minister of Health for the then USSR. In just over 20 years, in 1979, the WHO declared that smallpox had in fact been eradicated, making it the first disease in history to be eliminated by the dedicated efforts of humans working together from all over the globe.

Through the efforts of this organisation, the world has seen the eradication of smallpox, and its focus then turned to communicable diseases, with a particular focus on tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. The World Health Organization has also played an important role in the experience of the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus.

Each year, World Health Day focuses on a particular theme. Themes throughout the years have varied, but they always cover important issues of the day, including everything from global polio eradication and staying active while ageing to road safety. All of these issues have been deemed important enough to global health that they merited an occasion of their own on this date. Similarly, the theme for 2023 is "Health for All".

(Source: WHO)

CiST College Public Health