The World Health Organization celebrates its 75th anniversary this year – an ideal time to look back at the public health successes of the past seven decades, and to look ahead to the challenges of tomorrow.
In 1948, countries from across the world came together to launch the organization in a quest to promote global health and to serve the vulnerable, so that everyone, everywhere, can attain the highest level of health and well-being. To mark that crucial journey, the theme for World Health Day this year is “Health for All.”
The right to health is a basic human right. Yet nearly a third of the global population is not able to access essential health services. The COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies, along with humanitarian and climate crises, economic challenges and war have made every nation’s journey to achieve health for everyone all the more urgent. Now is the time for leaders to take action and for society to hold leaders accountable.
UNFPA is working toward the goal of health for all by supporting comprehensive, high-quality sexual and reproductive health care — a key to global health.
Health-care systems continue to fail women and girls. Every two minutes a woman dies due to pregnancy or childbirth. The world is short some 900,000 midwives, despite their essential role as health-care providers. An estimated 257 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe and modern methods of contraception.
Gender discrimination drives health-care shortfalls for women and girls. Women at peak reproductive ages are poorer than their male peers, and they face economic, social and legal barriers to health care, while health-care systems have deprioritized services essential to women and girls.
Every health system must provide quality sexual and reproductive health services that reach every person.
Please join us on a journey to achieve health for all. You can learn about ways to get involved on World Health Day, including ideas for mobilizing your community, along with a video and poster you can share, from the World Health Organization here.
