[2023-04-07] World Health Day

Today is World Health Day. On April 7, 1948, the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) came into force. That milestone is celebrated each year as World Health Day.

In honour of its 75th anniversary, the WHO published a timeline of Public health milestones through the years. The introduction to the timeline states:

Since the foundation of the World Health Organization in 1948, the world has experienced public health challenges that have required us all to come together with science, solutions and solidarity. This timeline, published in 2023 on the occasion of WHO’s 75th anniversary, serves as a reminder of some of the most memorable successes and how these have contributed to improved health across the world. These milestone achievements also provide inspiration for us to face the health challenges of the future.

I found the timeline useful for several reasons:
  • It helps to put current health challenges in perspective. When we see the progress that's been made in addressing past health challenges, we can have hope that we will overcome the threats we are facing today, just as we have done in the past.
  • It highlights some of the most significant health challenges and some of the most important health advances over the past 75 years. Some examples that stood out for me were the discovery of antibiotics in 1950, the eradication of smallpox in 1980, the discovery of the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (which causes AIDS) in 1983, the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014, and the WHO's declaration of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2020.
  • It reflects the importance of working together to address public health issues.
The item that stood out for me was a WHO video presented alongside the reference to the WHO's first global Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan in 2013. The video is called I had a black dog, his name was depression. I've seen the metaphor of a black dog as a representation of depression before, but it was worth seeing again.

Today, for a variety of reasons, I am reminded of the fragility of health. I am grateful for our publicly funded healthcare and the professionals who care for us.