World Health Day 2010

I’m convinced that if you looked hard enough you could find “a day” for every day of the year. There are the classics like Canada Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and some fascinating others that pop up year after year. Today however, is World Health Day. I’ve done some investigation to educate myself and sum it up for you. For what it’s worth, I’m on board with this day.

A little over 50 years ago the First World Health Assembly called for an annual “World Health Day” (April 7^th every year). The idea is once a year the World Health Organization (WHO) addresses the health of the global community,  encourages improvements and fosters develpment of real soulitons.

In 2002 the focus of World Health Day was “Move for Health” which means the WHO wanted to help people understand the increasing problem of non-communicable diseases (NDCs), meaning they are not infectious.

Usually these diseases are caused by personal lifestyle, genetics, or environment. The WHO website acknowledged clearly that increasing numbers of physically inactive people contribute to the problem.

“This is due, in part, to a rapid change in lifestyles leading to reduced physical activity, changing diets and increased tobacco use.”

The goal in ‘02 was to make policy makers, the public health community and civil society more aware of the issues. More importantly the WHO wanted to emphasize the importance of fitness and healthy lifestyle.

Check out more on “Move for Health”,  including research that shows physical inactivity is among the main modifiable risk factors for common NCDs (you’ll find advocacy tools too!)

I thought it was important to make the connection between what a huge international organization thinks is important, and what Saskatchewan in motion as a provincial physical activity movement does.

World Health Day 2010 is shining a light on urbanization and health with the campaign “1000 cities-1000 lives”.

• 1000 cities: to open up public spaces to health, whether it be activities in parks, town hall meetings, clean-up campaigns, or closing off portions of streets to motorized vehicles.
• 1000 lives: to collect 1000 stories of urban health champions who have taken action and had a significant impact on health in their cities.

In one way or another the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyle are consistently represented on World Health Day. So it’s agreed: both the World Health Organization and Saskatchewan in motion know how important regular physical activity is for everyone!

For more on “1000 cities-1000 lives” hit the World Health Day 2010 page. You’ll find tools, additional links and media to help you become a healthy active champion for yourself and your community.

Let me know what you’re going to do in the comments below.

Kenji