Take action to protect and invest in health and care workers who are at the forefront of the response to health and climate emergencies
On 7 April 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) will mark its 75th anniversary , along with its 194 Member States and other partners, by calling for a renewed drive for health equity. Seventy-five years ago, in the aftermath of the deadliest and most destructive war in human history, the Constitution of the World Health Organization came into force: a treaty between the nations of the world, who recognized that health was not only a fundamental human right, but also fundamental to peace and security. Over the past seven and a half decades, there has been extraordinary progress in protecting people from diseases and destruction, including smallpox eradication, reducing the incidence of polio by 99%, saving millions of lives through childhood immunization, declines in maternal mortality and improving health and well-being for millions more. “The history of WHO demonstrates what is possible when nations come together for a common purpose,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Dir...
