On World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April every year, the World Health Organization draws attention to a public health problem of global proportions and what needs to be done to address it. The date of 7 April marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948.
The theme for World Health Day 2014 is vector-borne diseases.
More than half the world’s population is at risk of these diseases, which include malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis and yellow fever. The poorest people in the world are the most affected. However, environmental change and the rapid and increased movement of people and goods around the world means that the risks are now much more widespread.
The World Health Day 2014 campaign focuses on vectors, the diseases they cause and simple precautions we can all take to protect ourselves and our families.
