Today is World Health Day – World Health Day is celebrated on the 7th of April to commemorate the founding of the World Health Organisation. This year the WHO will commemorate its 75th anniversary.
In 1948, countries around the world came together and founded the organisation to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being.
This year, World Health Day is an opportunity to look back at public health successes that have improved the quality of life during the last seven decades. It is also an opportunity to motivate action to tackle health challenges.
The theme for this year is ‘Health for All’.
Health in Africa
In recent years, the life expectancy in Africa has grown from 46 years old in 2000 to 56 years old in 2019. This change represents the highest increase in any WHO region recorded during the same period.
“However, it must be noted that the continent is coming from a very low base, with current levels still lower than the rest of the world.” Deputy medical director for International SOS in Mozambique, Dr. Kety Guambe
The report suggests that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are increasingly becoming the main cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. This is largely due to weaknesses in the implementation of critical control measures – this means actions to prevent, diagnose and care for these patients are slow.
“In Africa, between 50% and 88% of deaths in seven countries are due to NCDs, according to the WHO. And the number of people living with diabetes in the region is expected to reach 47 million by 2045, from 19 million in 2019,” adds Dr Guambe
At the same time, Dr Guambe also reiterates the need to tackle infectious diseases – with those such as malaria and cholera on the rise again following disruptions in treatment and prevention methods due to the pandemic.
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Africa’s healthcare professionals and dedicated healthcare organisations are making serious efforts to curb such challenges across the continent.
