World Health Day 2019

World Health Day takes place on April 7th each year, marking the anniversary of when the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded. WHO selects a different theme each year, focusing on one of the topics from their 6-point agenda:

1. Health and Development: advocate for greater recognition of the bidirectional links between poverty and poor health, and strengthen intersectoral work to address health risks and socio-economic determinants
2. Health and Security: taking steps to reduce health risks from outbreaks of new, existing and mutating diseases, and providing assistance to countries in strengthening trauma care and mass casualty management systems
3. Health Systems: Bridging the prevention and treatment gaps, and integrating management of chronic conditions, nutrition services, and mental health into primary healthcare, including prevention and community-based rehabilitation
4. Information and Knowledge: Devising guidelines on evidence-based interventions for health promotion and risk reduction
5. Partnerships: promote partnerships for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities. 
6. Performance: Monitor noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities, and their determinants and to evaluate progress at the national, regional and global levels

WHO has selected universal health coverage for this year’s Word Health Day. While progress is being made in countries in all parts of the world, we have a lot of work to do.

What is Universal Health Coverage (UHC)?

A common misconception about UHC is that it means free coverage for all possible health interventions. That is NOT what UHC means – WHO does a good job outlining what is not included in the scope of UHC here. What UHC means, as defined by WHO, “is that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. It includes the full spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. UHC enables everyone to access the services that address the most significant causes of disease and death, and ensures that the quality of those services is good enough to improve the health of the people who receive them”

Here are the key facts about Universal Health Coverage:

• At least half of the world’s population still do not have full coverage of essential health services.
• About 100 million people are still being pushed into extreme poverty (defined as living on 1.90 USD or less a day) because they have to pay for health care.
• Over 800 million people (almost 12% of the world’s population) spent at least 10% of their household budgets to pay for health care.
• All UN Member States have agreed to try to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Health is a human right; it’s time for health for all. To make health for all a reality, we need: individuals and communities who have access to high quality health services so that they take care of their own health and the health of their families; skilled health workers providing quality, people-centred care; and policy-makers committed to investing in primary health care.

In honor of #WorldHealthDay, America’s Charities is celebrating our member charities whose work aligns with WHO’s 6-point agenda and are contributing to making #HealthForAll a reality:

Click on the nonprofit’s name to learn more about what they do.

• Alzheimer’s and Aging Research Center
• Alzheimer’s Disease Research (BrightFocus Foundation)
• Alzheimer’s – Insight Memory Care Center
• Arthritis & Chronic Pain Research Institute
• National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC)
• Breast Cancer Research Center
• Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation (Prevent Cancer Foundation)
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
• Diabetes National Research Group
• Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, Inc.
• Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation
• International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere Region
• Melanoma Research Alliance
• The LIVESTRONG Foundation
• The Marfan Foundation
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
• NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation
• National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC)
• National Down Syndrome Society
• Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
• Population Connection
• Ronald McDonald House Charities®
• Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance
• United Cerebral Palsy
• Urology Care Foundation 
• YMCA of Metropolitan Washington

Now through April 7th, we encourage you to:

• Join us in celebrating World Health Day! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members’ specific programs are contributing to making #HealthForAll a reality.

• Donate & raise money for these nonprofits whose work has and continues to pave the way for women’s health, equal economic opportunities, educational equity, and an end to gender-based violence. America’s Charities is proud of the work our member charities do in these respective areas. One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!