The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other related organizations.

In 1948, the WHO held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day. The World Health Day is held to mark WHO's founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.

The WHO organizes international, regional and local events on the Day related to a particular theme. World Health Day is acknowledged by various governments and non-governmental organizations with interests in public health issues, who also organize activities and highlight their support in media reports, such as the Global Health Council.

World Health Day is one of eight official global health campaigns marked by WHO, along with World Tuberculosis Day, World Immunization Week, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day, World AIDS Day, World Blood Donor Day, and World Hepatitis Day.

This year World Health Days theme is Universal health coverage

Universal health coverage (UHC) is about ensuring all people and communities have access to quality health services where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship. It includes the full spectrum of services needed throughout life—from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care—and is best based on a strong primary health care system.

Over the past decade, countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region have made significant health gains and increased commitments to advance UHC. The Regional Committee of the Western Pacific has agreed that countries should develop UHC roadmaps based on 5 attributes of high-performing health systems: quality, efficiency, equity, accountability, sustainability and resilience.

Achieving UHC is one of the key targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and it is the focus of World Health Day in 2019.

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What they aim to achieve through the campaign ?

This campaign aims to help people better understand what universal health coverage means – what services and support should be available and where. We will provide visual material that helps people who have access to quality, affordable health care to understand what life is like for people without it and to advocate for equal access to care, everywhere.

Health workers will have an important role to play in the campaign, helping decision-makers for health recognize what people need in terms of care, particularly at the primary care level.

The campaign also presents an opportunity for ministers of health and other government decision-makers to commit to taking action to address gaps in universal health coverage in their countries, as well as to highlight progress that has already been made.

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