April 7, 2023- World Health Day
Every year on April 7, the World Health Organization selects a theme that talks about current issues on health, ranging from mental health to insurance, thus setting the mood for what is about to go on worldwide. This year, World Health Day focuses on nurses and midwives, the relentless and always on-call workforce that has brought a great revolution in the healthcare industry today.
How World Health Day Came About
We cannot talk about World Health Day without discussing how the World Health Organization was created. Officials from Brazil and China back in December 1945 proposed to develop an international health organization that could encompass all health indices yet wholly independent from any government controls. Later after six months, in July 1946, the World Health Organization constitution was approved in New York, which came into force on April 7, 1948, signed into an agreement by 61 countries to establish the NGO.
One of the first official activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) was to create the celebration of World Health Day, which was first observed on July 22, 1949. However, the date was later changed to April 7 when WHO was established to encourage the participation of students.
Every year since 1950, the member governments and WHO staff propose themes from which the sitting WHO Director-General chooses one.
World Health Day is an opportunity worldwide for the world to focus its attention on important issues of health that affect the international community. On this occasion, promotional programs that run beyond April 7 are launched. In 2023, World Health Day seeks to shed more light on the critical functions of nurses and midwives in global healthcare provision. During that time, events promoting advocacy will be health around the globe such as the launching of the first State of the World’s Nursing Report, which aims to provide planning to optimize the contributions of the nursing workforce. Later in 2024, the Midwifery report.
FIVE IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT NURSING
According to the Roman Empire reports, nurses have existed since 300 AD.
Averagely on a 12-hour shift, nurses are said to walk 4 to 5 miles.
About half of all students in the health field at a higher education level are enrolled in nursing.
Nursing is a profession whose practices are recognized universally; therefore, a registered nurse can work anywhere globally.
There are a variety of job positions that nurses can work in other than hospitals, such as forensics and educators.