The World Health Day-2024 will be observed today (Sunday) in the country as elsewhere in the globe with the theme ‘My Health, My Right’.
The day is observed on April 7 annually to raise awareness about global health issues and highlight the importance of well-being. The date of April 7 marks the founding anniversary of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In 1948, the WHO held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate April 7 each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day.
To mark the day, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and non-government organisations working in the field of health have chalked out various programmes.
The programmes include seminars, discussions, publication of souvenirs, arranging health education exhibitions, decorating road islands and film exhibitions.
On the occasion of the World Health Day, President Mohammad Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday issued separate messages.
In his message, the President said that the government is implementing massive development schemes to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the people. A remarkable improvement has been made in the health sector to ensure quality health service for the people, he added.
Mohammad Shahabuddin said that the quality of medical services in the country has increased as a result of development of health infrastructure, creation and recruitment of skilled manpower, procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment and use of information technology. As a result, life expectancy has increased and maternal and infant mortality rates have declined, he continued.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her government’s commitment to protect the public health. The aim of the present government is to create pro-welfare society and state by building a pollution free environment which is conducive to healthy living for every citizen of the country, she said.
She further said that the government has taken various steps including setting up new hospitals and nursing institutes to ensure up-to-date healthcare by formulating a people-oriented health policy.
The government has increased the number of doctors, nurses and supporting staff in the hospitals across the country, she said, adding that at the village level, 14,285 community clinics have been set up across the country to bring health services to the doorsteps of the people.
Free health, family welfare and nutrition services are being provided to marginalized people through these health centers, she continued.
Medical services have been introduced from district and upazila level hospitals through mobile phones and online platforms, the premier said.
Some organisations have arranged programmes on Saturday on the occasion World Health Day.
To mark the day, PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) arranged a webinar titled ‘Budgetary allocation for prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)’.
Public health experts joined the webinar calling for increasing budgetary allocation for the fiscal year of 2024-25 as Non-Communicable Diseases are increasing alarmingly in the country.
They said that NCDs, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, kidney diseases, and respiratory diseases, are responsible for 70 per cent of total deaths in Bangladesh.
They also said the budgetary allocation dedicated to combating NCDs is alarmingly low, comprising only 4.2 per cent of the total health budget. Despite the WHO’s recommendation for countries to allocate at least 15 per cent of their total budget for the health sector, Bangladesh allocated only 5 per cent of its total budget for healthcare in the fiscal year 2023-24. The government's health budgetary support is one of the lowest in the WHO South-East Asia region, they said.