Each year, April 7 marks the celebration of World Health Day. This has brought critical health problems, such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change, to light over the past 50 years. The event is characterised by events that continue beyond the day itself and acts as an opportunity to reflect on these critical aspects of public health around the world. 

WHO Themes

The WHO picks a theme on this day each year, highlighting a specific focus field of public health. In the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the 2020 World Health Day theme took place and was thus introduced as ‘Support Nurses and Midwives’.  People around the world spent the day thanking the nurses and health care staff on the frontlines fighting the coronavirus COVID-19. A presidential message was released by the US White House emphasising the importance of public health in “building strong, prosperous and free societies around the world.” The 2020 World Health Day celebration took place around the world in a predominantly virtual space due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.  Most of the initiative was concentrated on raising funds for the Solidarity Response Fund for COVID-19.