Development of the health sector, promotion of clean energies, management of natural disasters, improvement of family health, management of wastes, improvement of eating styles, and reduction of tobacco consumption are the main topics of the Health Week, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

World Health Day 2022 was commemorated in Iran on Sunday. World Health Day is seen each year as an opportunity by governments and organizations to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health.

In a keynote speech, WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Iran Dr. Syed Jaffar Hussain said, “We need to highlight operationalizing health in all policies, strengthening the partnership of health and non-health sectors, the focus of political, economic, and social drivers and their impact on health and well-being.”

WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes, which including climate change are responsible for 23% of the total burden of disease in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and as much as 30% of the disease burden for children. An estimated 1 million people die prematurely every year in our Region as a result of living and working in unhealthy environments.

After the Islamic Revolution (1979), many advances have been made in the health sector, namely, increased medical facilities, increased life expectancy and reduced infant and maternal mortality, growth of medical universities, and upgraded medical equipment.

According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the life expectancy index at birth increased from 49.5 to 51.5. In other words, life expectancy among Iranians before the Islamic Revolution has been among the lowest in the world. While ten years after the revolution, despite the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, the life expectancy rate has increased to 61.5 years, showing a 10-year increase.

The World Bank report shows that the life expectancy rate experienced a growth of 22 years since the beginning of the revolution, raising to 76.7 years.

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April 7 of each year marks the celebration of World Health Day. From its inception at the First Health Assembly in 1948 and since taking effect in 1950, the celebration has aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization.

In recent years, countries in the Western Pacific have experienced rapid economic growth, migration, and urbanization. This created opportunities for better lives for many but left others behind. The COVID-19 pandemic has undercut recent health gains, pushed more people into poverty and food insecurity, and amplified gender, social and health inequities.

So that, this year, the day focuses on a theme of “Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone”, to ensure that all people are able to access quality health services depending on their needs and values within their communities.

The health ministry has assigned each day of the week with a special theme as follows:

Wednesday, April 21: Supporting health advocates for building a fairer and healthier world

Thursday, April 22: Social participation, empathy, and national harmony for building a fairer and healthier world

Friday, April 23: Religious teachings and linking religious institutions to build a fairer and healthier world

Saturday, April 24: Improving the system of health care network and primary health care to build a fairer and healthier world

Sunday, April 25: Media, education, and culture to build a fairer and healthier world

Monday, April 26: Research, Technology, support, and disruption of production to build a fairer and healthier world

Tuesday, April 27: Inter-sectoral partnerships and social responsibility to build a fairer and healthier world

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