Every year, World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. World Health Day is a global campaign, inviting everyone – from global leaders to the public in all countries – to focus on a single health challenge with global impact. Focusing on new and emerging health issues, World Health Day provides an opportunity to start collective action to protect people's health and well-being. It is an opportunity to engage in finding solutions that benefit us all.
"Good health adds life to years"
The topic of World Health Day in 2012 is Ageing and Health with the theme "Good health adds life to years". The focus is how good health throughout life can help older men and women lead full and productive lives and be a resource for their families and communities. Ageing concerns each and every one of us – whether young or old, male or female, rich or poor – no matter where we live.
Over the past century life expectancy has increased dramatically and the world will soon have more older people than children. The 2001 census counts the proportion of Indian population above the age of 60 years as 77 million that is about 7.4% of the entire population. Healthy ageing is a priority area of global concern for the World Health Organization.
Ageing concerns each and everyone – whether young or old, male or female, rich or poor – no matter where we live.Globally, the population is ageing steadily. One of the biggest social transformations is population ageing. For the past century and more mankind has been adding years to life. More people now survive the challenges of childbirth and childhood and live longer through adulthood to reach old age. This trend is not restricted to the resource-rich countries but has become a global phenomenon.
This World Health Day, the agenda is to address the issues this demographic shift entails and how best we prepare ourselves.
ILBS supports the WHO and Govt of India in spreading awareness about the issues and challanges associated with an ageing population.
For more information log on to http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2012/en/
- Click here to view the Global Brief on Ageing and Health
- Click here to view the Key Messages
- Click here to view the fact sheet
