The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that it would focus its World Health Day 2008 theme on "protecting health from climate change."

"Just as health and wellbeing was seen as a defining aspect of peace and security, so too, the health and wellbeing of populations must become the defining measure of the impact of climate change and our efforts to address it effectively," WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said in a statement.

"We need to put public health at the heart of the climate change agenda," Dr Chan said.

"This includes mobilizing governments and stakeholders to collaborate on strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, safer use of diminishing water supplies, and health action in emergencies," she added.

According to WHO, climate change is finding itself in an increasingly central position on the international agenda.

On World Health Day 2008, communities and organizations around the world will host activities to establish greater awareness and public understanding of health consequences of climate change, and to show the impact of the growing interdependency between these two areas on national and international decisions and policies.

World Health  Day was created in 1948 to mark the founding of WHO. The day takes place on April 7 annually andserves to raise awareness of key global public health challenges.

(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2007)