Celebrated on April 7 every year, World Health Day is aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization.
This year, it's doubtlessly all about COVID-19 and we honour the contribution of the nurses and midwives for the inevitable and vital role in keeping the world healthy and safe.
The tagline for the day is Support nurses and midwives.
History of the day
The World Health Organization, since 1950, when the First Health Assembly came in effect, had started to focus its aim to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern on it.
Since then for the past 50 years, the day has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care, and even climate change.
World Health Day 2020
On this year's celebration, the WHO emphasises on the need to applaud the midwives and nurses who work selflessly for the well being of all the mothers, newborns, and sick people regardless any difference.
With 2020 being the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, WHO and its partners will make a series of recommendations to strengthen of the nursing and midwifery workforce.
World's Nursing Report 2020
WHO will also be launching the first-ever State of the World's Nursing Report 2020 on behalf of the day. A similar report on the Midwifery workforce will be launched in 2021.
The former report will give a global picture of the nursing staff and their support evidence-based planning in order to optimize their contributions to mankind. In addition to this, the report will also set an agenda for data collection, policy dialogue and investment in the healthcare sector for generations to come.
PM Modi expresses the gratitude
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the chance to wish the medical staff on the World Health Day.
"Today on #WorldHealthDay, let us not only pray for each other's good health and well-being but also reaffirm our gratitude towards all those doctors, nurses, medical staff and healthcare workers who are bravely leading the battle against the COVID-19 menace," the prime minister tweeted.
WHO chose the year 2020 as the "Year of the Nurse and Midwife" to honour the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. The organisatin called for the world's support to ensure that the nursing and midwifery workforces are strong enough to ensure that everyone, everywhere gets the healthcare they need.
