April 7th marks the celebration of World Health Day. Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to highlight and draw awareness to particular health themes and areas of concern. In the past, this day has brought attention to topics such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change.
World Health Day 2021
This year’s theme is “Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone.” The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in many ways. It’s pushed more people into poverty and food insecurity while elevating gender, social, and health inequities. The World Health Organization is calling on its communities during this year-long global campaign to help eliminate these health inequities and create a healthier, fairer world for everyone. They plan on achieving this by working together, collecting data, eliminating health inequities, and expanding their reach.
The Impact of COVID-19
Vulnerable communities have been impacted the most during COVID-19. These people haven’t had the same access to healthcare services as others simply because of the conditions that they were born into. Many of them live in inadequate housing communities, struggle to put food on the table, and have fewer employment opportunities. They’ve struggled to make ends meet considerably more due to the economic and financial burdens from COVID-19. This results in adverse consequences such as suffering and premature death, which harms our societies and economies.
Mental Health
Another critical issue that COVID-19 forced us to draw attention to is mental health. Alongside the economic and financial disparities resulting from a global pandemic, many people struggled with their mental health. During an isolating year when life, as we knew it, changed significantly, we were forced to focus on its importance and how to better take care of ourselves. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it’s essential to living a full life. The silver lining to come from all of this is that we’re able to work on breaking the stigma around mental health after an unprecedented year.
The WHO’s Mission
The inequities amongst these vulnerable communities are unfair but also preventable. That’s why the WHO is calling on all leaders during this year’s World Health Day to acknowledge these inequities and work to provide better living and working conditions with fair access to necessary health services for everyone.
Celebrating World Health Day
After this past year, World Health Day seems more relevant than ever. It’s essential to acknowledge and discuss critical topics surrounding the health of our communities. The conversations reach beyond just World Health Day. Today simply marks the start of long-term advocacy campaigns implemented by the World Health Organization. Together with the WHO, we can advocate for all communities’ health and well-being.
About SpecialtyCare
SpecialtyCare is dedicated to providing an exceptional patient experience, becoming the OR employer of choice, and leading the way in OR innovation. They do this through staffing operating rooms and providing the equipment needed for medical procedures.