World Health Day 2023, Date, History, Theme & Significance

World Health Day 2023

The 7th of April is designated as World Health Day by WHO. This is the day when the World Heath Organisation came into being. World Health Day is an opportunity to recognise the distance that we have covered in the domain of public health at the same time it reminds us the of the gaps and distances that are yet to be covered. The Health profile around the world is diverse but there is steady improvement across the continents. World Health Day is an opportunity to appreciate the great work being done to prevent diseases, create affordable medicines and provide care etc. This space here has the complete information on World Health Day 2023 History, Theme & Significance.

World Health Day 2023 History

World Health Day marks the foundation of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. The idea of establishing an international health organization was first proposed in 1945, during the United Nations Conference on International Organization. The aftermath of World War II has highlighted the need for a global body to act on need on health-related issues and the need to globally maintain data on pandemics and disease outbreaks.

On April 7th, 1948, the first World Health Assembly was held in Geneva, Switzerland, and the WHO was officially established. Since then, April 7th has been celebrated as World Health Day.

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World Health Day 2023 Theme

“Health For All” the theme for World Health Day 2023. The theme is released by WHO. World Health Day 2023 is also the 75 Anniversary of the WHO, and as per the WHO, official website “75th anniversary year is an opportunity to look back at public health successes that have improved quality of life during the last seven decades. It is also an opportunity to motivate action to tackle the health challenges of today  ̶  and tomorrow.”

The phrase “Health For All” has major significance in today’s world. This was a goal set by WHO in 1970. The idea behind “Health For All” is to provide accessible, quality and affordable health services to all. Health For All means that health is to be brought within reach of everyone. Primary Health Care Centres, Community Care hospitals etc are major drivers of health for all.

“Health For All” and India

India has made significant improvements in all health parameters. We have been able to eliminate wild polio, leprosy, and smallpox.  As per the latest National Health Survey India has been able to reduce child malnutrition, maternal mortality rate, and incidence of anaemia. Here are a few “Health For All” initiatives in India.

• Ayushman Bharat Scheme, also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), is a healthcare program launched by the Government of India in 2018.
• PM-JAY provides health insurance coverage of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. It is the world’s largest government-funded healthcare scheme.
• The Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is a vaccination program launched by the Government of India in 1985. The program aims to provide universal access to immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases for all children under the age of 2 years and pregnant women.
• The program provides vaccination against various vaccine-preventable diseases, including tuberculosis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib). The vaccines are provided free of cost to all eligible beneficiaries at government health facilities across the country.
• The National Policy on Rare Diseases is a policy document formulated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in 2021. The policy aims to provide a framework for the prevention and management of rare diseases in India.
• Mission End TB is a national initiative launched by the Government of India in 2018 with the aim of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the country by 2025.

Recently India is moving towards universal health coverage for all.