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)