Realizing the Right to Health for All

 

World Health Day 2021 / 07 April

Realizing the Right to Health for All

Fr Dr M. D. Thomas

Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi

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The 07th day of April marks the celebration of ‘World Health Day’. This celebration was launched under the patronage of World Health Organization, which was founded in 1948. The idea of the day was mooted in its first World Health Assembly in 1948 and the celebration took effect in 1950.

 

The ‘World Health Day’ is one of 11 official global health campaigns that are marked by World Health Organization. World Tuberculosis Day, World Immunization Week, World Malaria Day, World AIDS Day, World Patient Safety Day and World Hepatitis Day are a few among them. The ‘World Health Day’ remains the most fundamental and inclusive of all of them, too.

The purpose of ‘World Health Day’ was primarily to mark the founding of World Health Organization. In course of time, the ‘World Health day’ was intended to invite the attention of the entire world towards ‘good health’ and a longer span of life for the humans. Accordingly, the day emerged as a major health awareness day at the global level.

The ‘World Health Day’ is acknowledged by various governments and non-governmental organizations across the world. On this day, a variety of activities are organized all over the world, on the international, continental, national, regional and local levels, in view of translating the intention of the day in to a reality. The activities are oriented to extend beyond the day itself and to contribute to lasting results for health at the global level.

The ‘World Health Day’ is an opportunity to focus attention on the important public health issues that affect the international community. On the occasion of this day, the World Health Organization evolves a different theme every year, to highlight a priority area of public health concern in the world, like mental health, maternal and child care and climate change.

By way of schemes and programmes, several health promotional activities get underway, especially those that put one’s own life at risk, in view of protecting the health of the larger community. Different themes and concerns are taken up and suggested to the world, year by year, for research and necessary action on diverse levels.

The day is further intended to recognize the vital and unparalleled contribution of doctors, nurses, midwives and other health workers in keeping the world healthy. One of the vital areas that have been traditionally highlighted is the ‘role of nurses and midwives in providing health care’ around the world. The World Nursing Report underlines optimizing the contributions of the nursery workforce, too.

Coming to the concept of health proper, as we know too well, health is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but is the environmental, physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. Raising awareness about good health, both personal and public, along with its wide range of importance in life, is vital to life, beyond description. Therefore, whatsoever that can be done for ensuring good health is highly worth the while, definitely so. 

Having positive thinking, connecting with other people, making and maintaining good relationships with them are essentially important for the mental health and social wellbeing as human beings. Being purposeful and active keeps one physically and mentally fit, too. Making informed decisions to this effect is necessary for not only having sustainable habits in life, but also for the overall spiritual health and wellness.  

In addition, health, wellness and wellbeing would mean ‘being at ease, hale and hearty and happy. Having job satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment as well as being productive and contributive, manifestly, adds to good health and wellbeing. Needless to state that environmental and financial state of affairs are fundamental to attaining the higher states of sustainable health and wellbeing.

In addition to having sustainable habits for physical and mental health, along with the outdoor environment, the social environment has to be made sustainable. Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, words and deeds that cause bad will, hatred, discrimination, division and disharmony among individuals, institutions, communities and nations have to be watched over, obviously so.

Instead, positive thinking, good will, love, service, understanding, fellowship and partnership have to pick up the pace in the human society. I am sure, such an elevated, humane and divine mindset, without doubt, is geared towards making a society that is much richer with good health and wellbeing. The ‘world health day’ is a golden opportunity to speed up towards such worthwhile days for the humans on earth.

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The author is Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and has been committed to interfaith relations, national integration and social harmony, for the past over 40 years. He contributes to the above cause through lectures, articles, video messages, conferences, social interactions, views at TV channels, and the like.

He could be viewed, listened to and contacted at the following portals – websites ‘www.mdthomas.in’ (p), ‘https://mdthomas.academia.edu’ (p), ‘https://drmdthomas.blogspot.com’ (p) and ‘www.ihpsindia.org’ (o); social media ‘https://www.youtube.com/InstituteofHarmonyandPeaceStudies’ (o), ‘https://www.facebook.com/mdthomas53’ (p), and ‘https://twitter.com/mdthomas53’ (p); email ‘mdthomas53@gmail.com’ (p) and telephone 9810535378 (p).