Why and how is World Health Day observed?

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In 1948, the WHO held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate April 7 of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day. The World Health Day is held to mark WHO’s founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. Here are a few other facts about World Health Day.

• World Health Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by WHO, along with World Tuberculosis Day, World Immunisation Week, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Hepatitis Day, and World AIDS Day.
• The WHO organises international, regional and local events on the Day related to a particular theme. World Health Day is observed worldwide by the government, NGOs including various health organizations at many places by organising programmes relating to the public health issues and awareness. Health authorities from different countries take part in the celebration with their pledges in order to support on the health issues worldwide.
• Factors that contribute to world health, that many previous World Health Days have addressed include: vector-borne diseases such as malaria, Wet Nile, Lyme and disease; contaminated drinking water which can lead to dengue, malaria, and hepatitis; blood pressure, which is a silent killer and affects one in three adults; and aging in a healthy way, which involves staying active.