World Health Day is a holiday dedicated to caring for one's health and preventing various diseases. The day chosen to be the official health day is April 7.
World Health Day is a holiday dedicated to caring for one's health and preventing various diseases. The day chosen to be the official health day is April 7. And although it may seem to many that this holiday is mainly for doctors, this is not the case. World Health Day is a holiday for all people who care about their health.
The importance of this holiday can hardly be overestimated, as it not only reminds us of the importance of monitoring our health, but also a number of socially useful events are held during this holiday.
When it is held
The holiday is held annually on April 7. What is noteworthy is that it was not always the case. In general, the idea to celebrate this holiday came in 1948, but for the first two years (1948-1950) World Health Day was celebrated on July 22, and only then was the date of celebration moved to April 7. This date was not chosen by chance. It is the date of the publication of the charter of the World Health Organization (WHO). The idea to move the holiday date came at the very first WHO assembly.
Who celebrates
This wonderful holiday is probably celebrated all over the world, at least in all 194 countries that are members of the WHO. As for whether this is a professional holiday or not, World Health Day is celebrated by absolutely everyone for whom their health is not an empty sound. And if you monitor your health and take care of disease prevention, then this is your holiday. It is also understandable that all healthcare professionals can, to some extent, call this holiday professional.
History
In 1948, on July 22, World Health Day was celebrated for the first time in honor of the approval of the WHO charter. Over time, this holiday has grown into a global campaign for health protection, for carrying out preventive measures and informing the public about how to properly monitor their health. And now this holiday has already turned into a global social campaign, which involves many celebrities, politicians, and other influential figures.
Moreover, since 1995, the holiday began to be timed to a specific theme, and a new slogan began to appear each year. So, in 1995, the main theme was the fight against polio, and in 2019
the main goal was to inform people about the services they can receive. It is also worth noting that attention is paid to the fight against mental illnesses. For example, in 2017, as part of the health day, a campaign against depression was held.Traditions
World Health Day is a time for health-related charitable events. These events are held every year and have already become an integral part of the celebration. In general, they can be divided into several types:
- Promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
- Distribution of informational leaflets by volunteers, advocacy for taking care of one's health by celebrities, conducting various trainings, performances, etc.
- Holding sports events.
- Master classes by professional athletes, sports competitions for everyone.
- Charitable fundraising.
- Fundraising for sick people in need, fundraising for foundations to combat various diseases.
- Free medical care.
- Specialist doctors travel to remote areas where they conduct examinations, consultations, etc.
Interesting facts
- Who would you call the healthiest nation in the world? Let me guess, the Japanese? No? But official research still says it's the Japanese. Moreover, these studies have also found the healthiest place in the world. This is the Japanese island of Okinawa. There, people live an average of 80 years, and the number of people who have lived over a century has already exceeded 500.
- The term "healthy lifestyle" was introduced to Russia by Israel Brekhman. He did this in 1989.
- The science of health is called valeology.
- In addition to World Health Day, there are many other interesting medical holidays, for example: World Mental Health Day, World Cancer Day, World No Tobacco Day, and many others.