Background
World Health Day is celebrated globally on the 7th of April on an annual basis.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), which was founded in 1948 created World Health Day to “mark the founding of WHO since 1950”. According to www.who.int, “it is estimated that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes”. These environmental causes include climate change, pollution and more.
This day intends to spread awareness of a specific health theme which the World Health Organisation views as a priority.
7th April 2022
For 2022, the theme is “Our Planet, Our Health” which focuses on cleaner air, water and food.
How can you play your part?
It is quite simple to do small things in our day to day lives, some of these are listed below:
- Recycling our plastics, paper, glass and cans
- Reusing plastic tubs, bowls and shopping bags
- Converting food waste into compost
- Instead of driving small distances such as to the shops, walk instead
- Purchasing biodegradable and compostable products – which are much more friendly to our environment
These changes can help our planet gradually over time, if we lower our plastic usage and begin to instead
purchase or use biodegradable alternatives such as bee’s wax paper, biodegradable straws and more, we can collectively lower our world’s pollution by producing less plastic and our carbon footprint overall.
How can I Improve my health?
We have listed a few tips that could help you improve your health below:
- Going for walks – according to a study by the University of Cambridge: “just a brisk 20 minute walk each day could reduce your risk of premature death by between 16-30%”.
- Eating a balanced diet – According to the NHS “eating a more healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best”.
- Drinking more water – drinking more water per day will keep you hydrated and helps to improve your skin.
How Do I Join in World Health Day?
You can join in World Health Day by:
- Organise a conversation in your community or workplace – WHO offers free information toolkits for organisers. Take the challenge and lead a conversation in your workplace or your community about current healthcare or world issues.
- Read up on past year’s themes – With over 50 years of health days in WHO’s archives, it can be an interesting exercise to look at how far we have come in healthcare.
- Raise awareness about climate change – You can raise awareness through awareness posters, sharing news and articles on social media.
If I can’t join in World Health Day, is there any other way to help?
If you would like to help, then please donate to a charity focused on our world’s health, or to a charity which will help our medical professionals with tools and daily essentials. We have listed some charities below:
- Earth Island Institute – “Earth Island Institute provides support to environmental action projects and to the next generation of environmental leaders in order to achieve solutions to the crises threatening the survival of life on Earth.” If you would like to donate to the Earth Island Institute, then please go to https://earthjustice.org.
- World Food Programme – “The Leading Humanitarian Organisation Fighting Hunger. WFP Delivers Food Assistance, Builds Resilience & Improves Local Sustainability.” If you would like to donate to the World Food Programme, then please go to https://www.wfp.org.
- Marine Conservation Society – The Marine Conservation Society is a UK-wide community of ocean lovers all working together towards cleaning and recovering the health of the ocean. If you would like to donate to the Marine Conservation Society, then please go to https://www.mcsuk.org.
Reshape HR is here to assist. We work with a variety of clients based across the UK, so if you are looking for HR or Payroll support or simply looking to run something past us, please do get in touch with us via:
T: 0141 471 5510
E: info@reshapehr.com
W: reshapehr.com