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World Health Day 2023: Health for All

  • Writer: Polelo Mawela
    Polelo Mawela
  • Apr 7, 2023
  • 4 min read


World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th since 1948. This day is recognized to raise awareness about global health issues and to promote healthy living for individuals and communities worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) selects a theme for this day each year, with the goal of promoting awareness about specific health challenges and encouraging action to address them.


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. This day is marked to raise awareness about global health issues and promote healthy living. The theme for World Health Day 2023 is "Health for all" (WHO, 2023)

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inequalities in access to health care services and the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities (Krouse, 2020). The pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to address health inequities and to strengthen health systems worldwide (Bambra et al., 2020). The theme of this year's World Health Day reflects this urgent need for action and emphasizes the importance of building a fairer and more equitable world.


The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of health services and led to a decline in health outcomes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (Chiriboga et al., 2020). The pandemic has also exacerbated existing health inequities, with marginalized communities facing disproportionate impacts (Krouse, 2020). The pandemic has highlighted the importance of investing in health systems, strengthening health infrastructure, and improving access to health services for all.

The WHO has identified several key areas for action to address health inequities and promote health for all (WHO, 2023). These include increasing investment in health systems, improving access to essential health services, addressing social determinants of health, promoting healthy living and healthy environments, and strengthening partnerships and collaboration among stakeholders (WHO, 2023).


One key area for action is increasing investment in health systems (WHO, 2023). Many low- and middle-income countries lack adequate health infrastructure and face a shortage of health care workers (Chiriboga et al., 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of investing in health systems and building resilient health infrastructure to respond to public health emergencies. This includes increasing funding for health systems, improving the distribution of health care workers, and strengthening health information systems (WHO, 2023).

Improving access to essential health services is another key area for action (WHO, 2023). Many individuals and communities lack access to basic health services, including vaccinations, maternal and child health services, and treatment for infectious diseases (Krouse, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in the delivery of essential health services, exacerbating existing health inequities (Chiriboga et al., 2020). Improving access to essential health services requires addressing barriers to health care, including financial barriers, geographic barriers, and social and cultural barriers (WHO, 2023).


Addressing social determinants of health is also critical to promoting health equity. Social determinants of health, including poverty, education, housing, and employment, have a significant impact on health outcomes (Burström & Tao, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of addressing social determinants of health, as marginalized communities have been disproportionately impacted. Addressing social determinants of health requires a multisectoral approach, involving collaboration among health, education, housing, and employment sectors (Burström & Tao, 2020).


Promoting healthy living and healthy environments is another key area for action (WHO, 2023). Many chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, can be ameliorated even prevented through lifestyle interventions, including healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco cessation (WHO, 2023). The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of healthy environments, including access to clean water and sanitation, and safe working and living conditions (Burström & Tao, 2020).

Strengthening partnerships and collaboration among stakeholders is critical to promoting health equity (WHO, 2023). The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of partnerships and collaboration among governments, civil society, and the private sector. Strengthening partnerships and collaboration requires a shared vision and commitment to promoting health equity and addressing health inequities. World Health Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about global health issues and to promote action to address health inequities.


The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for action to promote health equity and to build a fairer and more equitable world for everyone. Building a fairer, healthier world requires action to address health inequalities. This can be achieved through increasing access to healthcare services, promoting healthy living, education, addressing social determinants of health, and improving the environment. Governments, international organizations, and individuals all have a role to play in building a fairer, healthier world. The call to action on this World Health Day is for all, let us all commit to taking action to address health inequalities and build a fairer, healthier world for everyone.

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Writer: Hlengiwe Selowa



Reference

  1. Burström, B., & Tao, W. (2020). Social determinants of health and inequalities in COVID-19. European journal of public health, 30(4), 617-618.

  2. Bambra, C., Riordan, R., Ford, J., & Matthews, F. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic and health inequalities. J Epidemiol Community Health, 74(11), 964-968.

  3. Chiriboga, D., Garay, J., Buss, P., Madrigal, R. S., & Rispel, L. C. (2020). Health inequity during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cry for ethical global leadership. The Lancet, 395(10238), 1690-1691.

  4. Krouse, H. J. (2020). COVID-19 and the widening gap in health inequity. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 163(1), 65-66.

  5. WHO. (2023). World Health Day. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day


 
 
 

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