To commemorate World Health Day today, Seychelles NATION would like to recognise the hard work and sacrifices of our health workers both in the public and private sector. The pandemic showed us how important each one of you is and how dependent we are on the system.

World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 annually to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948. The primary role of WHO is to direct international health within the United Nations’ system and to lead partners in global health responses.

Each year for World Health Day the WHO chooses a theme which highlights a priority or a concern for the WHO. This year the theme for World Health Day is ‘Our Planet, Our Earth’. The theme aims to keep the planet and its inhabitants healthy by focusing on the wellbeing as the year is riddled with the pandemic, increasing disease such as cancer, asthma and heart disease, polluted planet and a climate crisis.

The theme’s objective is to also campaign health issues and health care access across the globe in classrooms, seminars, forums and workshops. The WHO also encourages individuals to do more outdoor activities and prioritise their wellbeing. The hash tag for this year is #HealthierTomorrow.

So do we connect with the theme of this year?

In the midst of a pandemic, a polluted planet, increasing diseases like cancer, asthma, heart disease, on World Health Day 2022, WHO will focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.? ?

WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. This includes the climate crisis which is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The climate crisis is also a health crisis.

While the Covid-19 pandemic showed us the healing power of science, it also highlighted the inequities in our world. The pandemic has revealed weaknesses in all areas of society and underlined the urgency of creating sustainable well-being societies committed to achieving equitable health now and for future generations without breaching ecological limits.

The present design of the economy leads to inequitable distribution of income, wealth and power, with too many people still living in poverty and instability. A well-being economy has human well-being, equity and ecological sustainability as its goals. These goals are translated into long-term investments, well-being budgets, social protection and legal and fiscal strategies. Breaking these cycles of destruction for the planet and human health requires legislative action, corporate reform and individuals to be supported and incentivised to make healthy choices.

In Seychelles, we can already see the effects of heavy rains and flooding. Globally climate change is bringing changes in the way we live and also the way we eat. Isn’t it time for us to take climate change seriously and really start focusing on how to self-sustain ourselves by taking care of our planet? Every small action helps heal the planet and heal ourselves.

Let’s all work together towards a HealthierTomorrow.

Source: Seychelles Nation