Health is of paramount importance, it is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. For a healthy life, a person needs to have a balanced diet and has to regularly exercise. Still, many people often take Health for granted. But, in life, some things should never be taken for granted.
You may have come across the phrase “Health is wealth,” which simply means when a person lives a healthy spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional lifestyle becomes the richest person in the world.
Health is a relationship between you and your body, to keep that relationship healthy you must live in a balanced state.
According to WHO, health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more.
Marking the importance of Health, World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year. It is an initiative taken by the World Health Organization to raise awareness about overall health and well-being of people across the world.
World Health Day 2020: Theme
Each year there is a specific theme for World Health Day. The theme for World Health Day 2020 is to support nurses and midwives. WHO chose the year 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” because of the contribution which nurses and midwives are making in making the world a healthier place.
“Nurses are the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 response. The invaluable role they have played is testimony of their sacrifice, courage and commitment to a healthier and safer world,” said Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.
WHO is honouring the Nurses and other health workers who are putting their own health at risk to protect the broader community at the forefront of COVID-19 response.
2020 is the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, and WHO wants to highlight the significant roles which these two play in making the world a better place.
This World Health Day, WHO is asking for support to ensure that the nursing and midwifery workforces are strong enough to make sure that everyone, everywhere gets the healthcare they need.
On the World Health day here are some inspiring health quotes to encourage you to keep in good health and look after yourself.
World Health Day 2020: History
WHO started the World Health Day campaign in 1950 with the motive of promoting awareness about physical and mental health and offer the necessary support. The main aim is to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization. This year’s day is dedicated to nurses and midwives with an aim to remind world leaders of the critical role they play in keeping the world healthy.
Put “quite simply”, without the aid of nurses there would have been “no response” to COVID-19 emergency or any other public health emergency. Combating against this pendamic we came across nursing staff working in the COVID-19 ward at the Chest Disease Hospital , Srinagar who often wonders about the possible personal cost the disease can bring to him.
“What if I am not immune and get exposed – assuming, in line with current thinking, that immunity can be conferred? What if I am part of a team caring for a patient who develops symptoms and no PPE is available? To what length am I willing to go as a nurse with a young family and people who love and depend upon me?” he asked.
Oblivious to the outside world, he has been staying in his room for the last five days. The 29-year-old is on a five day off after delivering his 24 hours shift.
From doing laundry to having meals alone, he sits in the room from dawn till dusk. “I was passed on new clothes and soap through the window when I came back from the hospital. I took a shower in the outside bathroom and wrapped my worn clothes in a bag,” he recalled.
He further said that he had to beg his parents – who are in their sixties – to start social distancing two weeks ago. “I worry about their state of mind. I know how important it is for them to see me. But I have been fearful of going near them so that I don’t end up as a source of transmission,” he said.
He said his wife, who is also a healthcare professional, worries about the risk to him and his family. “My wife respects my commitment and wants to support me to use my skills to help, but I need reassurance to be able to do that. It is the reassurance I can’t currently offer,” he lamented.
This is not an isolated case. Nurses and health line workers are at the forefront of tackling COVID 19 in Kashmir. Unmindful of their safety, some health workers use raincoats as hospitals are short of PPEs in the valley. And this year the theme of World Health Day is, support nurses and midwives.
Data of the Government Medical College, Srinagar, reveal that there are 800 nurses working in all associated hospitals in the valley. Out of 800 nurses, only 500 are permanent and rest are temporary are working on a contractual basis. Figures reveal that there are 35 nurses working in the Chest Diseases Hospital with 92-bed strength. Chest Disease Hospital is the frontline health institution to treat COVID 19 Patients. President Nurses Association, Jammu and Kashmir, Parveen Khan said the nurses have always been on the frontline to treat patients. “Many of the nurses associated with COVID Hospitals told me their families don’t want them to come home after duty hours. They literally wept before me,” she said.
Parveen noted that the nurses work in the same conditions as doctors. “The administration should ensure separate accommodation for nurses along with proper transportation and personal protection equipment,” she added. General Secretary, Post Graduate Nurses Association J&K, Javaid Ahmad Mir said the theme around this year’s world health day gives the opportunity to celebrate this workforce as one of the most valuable resources of the country.
“Despite huge challenges, we will continue to serve our community with pride,” Ahmad said. Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Jammu and Kashmir, Atal Dullo said the health administration is in the process of identifying separate accommodation for all nursing staff and technicians who are associated with isolation wards.
“They will soon be provided accommodation either in the hospitals or local hotels,” he said. Now at a time when the whole world is facing a health crisis as we fight the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare professionals are the frontline soldiers in this war and the World Health Day 2020 carries more importance than ever.
The WHO also released a ‘State of the World’s Nursing Report 2020’ which provides the “most up-to-date evidence on and policy options for the global nursing workforce”. The report also makes the case for higher investment in nursing education, jobs and leadership.
