World Health Day: History, Significance, Celebration, Wishes and Quotes

Sally Polly March 18, 2021 | 08:14

Having a healthy body and mind is very important, and there is a day for celebration of Health - World Health Day that celebrated every year on 7 April, and people all over the world spend a day for this special occasion...

Photo: WHO

Keep reading on to know more about its history, significance, celebration, wishes and quotes.

The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other related organizations.

The World Health Day: History and Significance

To talk about World Health Day, we need to talk about the creation of the World Health Organization as a whole. In December 1945, officials of Brazil and China proposed the creation of an international health organization, that is all-encompassing and absolutely independent from any government powers.

Half a year later, in New York, in July 1946, the constitution of the World Health Organization was approved. Said constitution entered into force on April 7, 1948, as 61 countries signed in agreement for the inception of the NGO.

As one of the first official acts of WHO, they created the celebration of World Health Day. It was first observed on July 22, 1949, but the date was later changed to April 7, the establishment of WHO, to encourage student participation.

Since 1950, the Worth Health Day uses a different theme and theme each year selected by the current WHO Director-General, based on the suggestions of the member governments and staff.

It is said that good health helps us work better. It is necessary to spread awareness among people and give knowledge about health. World Health Day is an opportunity to draw the attention of masses and towards the importance of global health.

World Health Day is one of the global health campaigns by the WHO, along with World Immunization Week, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day, World AIDS Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Hepatitis Day and World Tuberculosis Day.

World Health Day provides a global opportunity to focus attention on important public health issues that affect the international community. On the occasion of World Health Day, promotional programs are launched that continue for a long time after April 7.

World Health Day 2020 will shine a light on the vital role played by nurses and midwives in providing health care around the world, where advocacy events will be held around the world, including the launch of the first-ever State of the World’s Nursing Report, which will provide planning to optimize the contributions of the nursery workforce, with a similar report on the Midwifery workforce to be done in 2021.

WORLD HEALTH DAY TIMELINE

1945: An organization is born

At the United Nations Conference in San Francisco, a motion to create a new and independent organization dedicated to discuss health topics was passed.

1948: Setting the Date

April 7 is designated as World Health Day in the First Health Assembly to celebrate the creation of WHO.

April 7, 1950: It’s Official

The first World Health Day is celebrated.

April 7th, 1998: 50 Rounds

On the 50th anniversary of WHO, World Health Day tackles the topic of safe motherhood.

World Health Day Themes: Full list

Photo: National Day

• 1991: Should Disaster Strike, be prepared

• 1992: Heart beat: A rhythm of Health

• 1993: Handle life with care: Prevent violence and Negligence

• 1994: Oral Health for a Healthy Life

• 1995: Global Polio Eradication

• 1996: Healthy Cities for better life

• 1997: Emerging infectious diseases

• 1998: Safe motherhood

• 1999: Active aging makes the difference

• 2000: Safe Blood starts with me

• 2001: Mental Health: stop exclusion, dare to care

• 2002: Move for health

• 2003: Shape the future of life: healthy environments for children

• 2004: Road safety

• 2005: Make every mother and child count

• 2006: Working together for health

• 2007: International health security

• 2008: Protecting health from the adverse effects of climate change

• 2009: Save lives, Make hospitals safe in emergencies

• 2010: Urbanization and health: make cities healthier

• 2011: Antimicrobial resistance: no action today, no cure tomorrow

• 2012: Good health adds life to years

• 2013: Healthy heart beat, Healthy blood pressure

• 2014: Vector-borne diseases: small bite, big threat

• 2015: Food safety

• 2016: Halt the rise: beat diabetes

• 2017: Depression: Let's talk

• 2018: Universal Health Coverage: : everyone, everywhere

• 2019: Universal Health Coverage: : everyone, everywhere

• 2020: Support Nurses and Midwives

World Health Day Celebration

Illustrative photo

Thank a Nurse or Midwife

According to the World Health Organization fact sheet, nurses and midwives account for nearly half of the global health workface. Today, nurses are leaving their families who are quarantined at home to be on the frontline and help care for the ill who have been infected with the Coronavirus. Take the time to thank a nurse. You can handwrite a thank you note and send it to a nurse they know or mail it to a local hospital. You can also utilize social media to thank a nurse and attach the hashtag #supportnursesandmidwives.

Go for a Hike

Exercise is a very important component in staying healthy. A hike is the perfect outdoor exercise because not only are you in nature and breathing in fresh air, but you’re also getting your blood flowing which raises your heart rate and your mood, says Harvard Medical School.

Create a World Health Day Campaign

You can raise awareness about specific health issues, such as create a brochure, make a video, or even create a social media campaign. This is a great activity that you can do at home or virtually.

Practice Mindful Meditation

Promoting world health isn’t just about diet and exercise, it’s about promoting mental health as well. In these trying times, you may be feeling anxious because your normal everyday routine has been uprooted by the Coronavirus. To help combat some of that anxiety, you can practice mindful meditation. MindYeti and Headspace are two great tools that can be used both inside and outside of the classroom. MindYeti helps calm students by using animated videos and interesting soundscapes while Headspace uses a soothing voice to help calm your thoughts and settle them down.

Promote Healthy Eating

Just as cars need fuel to run properly, our bodies need healthy food to function at their best. It’s important that you learn how nutrition affects your health and how eating the proper foods can not only make you feel better but keep you healthy. A few ways you can do this is by creating a balanced meal of their own. You can scour through grocery ads and magazines and create a healthy meal on a paper plate. You can get ideas by going to Choosemyplate.gov. Another idea is for you to keep a food diary. Since most of us are quarantined at home, now is the perfect time to record everything you consume to see if your diet compares to that of the national guidelines.

World Health Day Wishes and Quotes

Photo: Best Messages

Meaningful quotes for World Health Day

1. Life is not just being alive, it’s having good health.

2. Health is a blessing in one’s life that only the sick person can see.

3. It’s good health that can make you climb mountains and achieve your dreams

4. It’s our duty to keep our body in good health, otherwise, we may never think clear.

5. Good health brings strength and self-confidence in one’s life.

6. If you don’t find time to exercise you will find time for ill health.

7. A healthy body is a cool home for the soul, while a sick body is a prison to the soul.

8. Your body follows what your mind says. Seek good health.

9. To have good health, do not overeat, breathe deeply, nurture cheerfulness, and always think positive towards life.

10. Good health starts from the inside. You have to start seeking good health today!

11. The healthier you are the more efficient and better you are.

12. A man’s health can be judged by what they take; lift or stairs.

13. Having good health is the greatest wealth you can ever have.

14. If you don’t find time to exercise, you will soon be welcoming illness to your body.

15. Exercise your body and mind more often, eat a balanced diet, and think positively.

16. Be careful when reading health books, chances are you might stop eating

17. Stop wasting too much time on your health, live a moderate life, and enjoy it.

18. To live longer, eat less food

19. We eat more than what our body requires since we mastered the art of cooking.

20. It’s our duty to keep our body in good health; otherwise our mind will be weak and weary.

21. Learn how to stay healthy other than trying to treat the sickness.

22. Health is measured by what we eat, if we consume junk food, we will have a junk body

Wishes for World Health Day

1. If our health remains good then everything else goes fine in our life. Happy World Health Day.

2. You can ignore your health at your own peril, so learn to take good care of your mind and body on World Health Day.

3. Good health is the main source of happiness in life, it helps in maintaining the smile in your face. Happy World Health Day.

4. It is our duty to keep our body in good health or else we won’t be able to focus on anything in life. Happy World Health Day.

5. Good health is like a precious gift given to us by God and we should never ignore it. Happy World Health Day.

6. You can be the richest person in the world but you can never buy good health. Happy World Health Day.

7. Let the most advanced healthcare services reach every corner of this world so that no one is deprived of genuine treatment. Happy World Health Day.

8. You can own a lot of gold and silver but the real wealth lies in your health. Happy World Health Day.

9. The key to good health is a calm mind that gives us confidence and inner strength. Happy World Health Day.

10. It is not enough to be alive, you also need to stay fit and healthy. Happy World Health Day.

11. A healthy body is like a blessing and a sick body is like a curse. Happy World Health Day.

12. Let us inspire everyone to adopt a healthy attitude to life on World Health Day.

13. It is your choice to make the rest of your life healthy. Happy World Health Day.

14. Don’t let your body become a house of all kinds of sickness, start exercising from today on the occasion of World Health Day.

15. Good health is not only the absence of a disease, it includes your all-around mental and physical fitness. Happy World Health Day.

16. You don’t need to do much to ensure good health, just take a balanced diet, exercise regularly and rest adequately. Happy World Health Day.

17. You might be young and healthy but things can change in a moment. So, be wise enough to take good care of your health. Happy World Health Day.

World Health Day this year

Building a fairer, healthier world

Our world is an unequal one.

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 with little daily income, have poorer housing conditions and education, fewer employment opportunities, experience greater gender inequality, and have little or no access to safe environments, clean water and air, food security and health services. This leads to unnecessary suffering, avoidable illness, and premature death. And it harms our societies and economies.

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.

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.

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