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Due to the global challenges the world faces, the right to health for millions of people is increasingly under threat. Wars devastate lives, causing death, suffering, hunger, and psychological stress. The use of fossil fuels has led to a climate crisis and air pollution that claims a life every five seconds. Harmful habits and unhealthy products contribute to deadly diseases and disability. To underscore the importance of addressing these challenges, World Health Day 2024 adopts the theme: “My Health, My Right”.
About World Health Day
This traditional annual event is celebrated on April 7th, the day of the establishment of the World Health Organization (WHO). Over its 76 years of existence, the WHO has become the most influential global organization in this field, uniting 194 member countries. For more details on the history of the WHO and its contribution to public health, as well as World Health Day 2023, please refer to this article.
The WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All has found that at least 140 countries recognize health as a fundamental human right in their constitutions. However, these countries do not enact or enforce laws that would ensure their citizens equal access to medical services. According to the organization, at least 4.5 billion people—more than half the world’s population—were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021.
This year’s theme was chosen to advocate for the right of every individual, regardless of their location, to realize their right to health. This includes access to quality medical services, safe drinking water, clean air, adequate nutrition, quality housing, decent working conditions, and freedom from discrimination.
Key Messages
The WHO reminds us of the fundamental human right to health and calls on governments to ensure the practical realization of this right.
Every individual is entitled to:
- Safe and quality treatment without any discrimination;
- Privacy and confidentiality of medical information;
- Information about their treatment and informed consent to it;
- Bodily autonomy and integrity;
- Make their own decisions regarding their health;
- Protect their right to health.
States can and should create laws that serve the interests of their communities and ensure citizens’ right to health. Specifically:
- Finance: impose additional taxes on tobacco, sugar, and alcohol;
- Agriculture: eliminate trans fats; reduce the use of antimicrobial agents in the agri-food system by 30-50% by 2030;
- Environment: end subsidies for fossil fuels and subsidize or exempt clean energy and fuel from taxation;
- Justice: prohibit all forms of discrimination;
- Transportation: develop bicycle infrastructure, support pedestrian movement;
- Labor: ensure decent work, rights, and protection for workers, create fair, equal, and gender-sensitive working conditions for healthcare and caregiving workers;
- Social development: ensure citizens’ access to social protection.
This year, a separate point is the protection of the right to health during war. The WHO defines this as:
- Protection of healthcare infrastructure and medical personnel;
- Uninterrupted access to medical services;
- Adherence to international humanitarian law and human rights.
