Celebrate World Health Day!

World Health Day? Sounds right up our alley! While we can get pretty focused (read: obsessed) with intimate health concerns, we’re actually all around health nuts, especially when it comes to global health issues. This April 7th holiday centers on exactly that – and here’s what it’s all about.

What is World Health Day?

You can think of World Health Day sort of like it’s the birthday of the World Health Organization. Back in 1948, they held their very first World Health Assembly and decided on April 7th as an annual event to draw attention to a specific worldwide health concern. Since 1995, they’ve adopted specific themes to base the year’s holiday on, and it’s recognised all over the world!

What is the 2019 Theme?

This year’s theme for World Health Day is ‘Universal Health Coverage,’ meaning that everyone around the world is able to access healthcare without incurring financial hardship.

According to the WHO, about half the world’s population does not have access to adequate health coverage – this can either because they can’t afford it or will go into significant debt for it (which includes the vulnerable populations in the United States) or because they can’t physically access healthcare services due to instability or lack of infrastructure.

https://youtu.be/0DIsr9mkp1A

Where Can I Find Out More?

Head over to the WHO World Health Day page to find out more about the initiative! Because this is the type of issue that needs larger, systemic changes, if you want to get personally involved, you can find charities that focus on bringing healthcare services to communities in the short term (like Doctors without Borders) or, if your country is affected, contact your government representatives.