Nigeria Celebrates 2022 World Health Day

Nigeria Joined the rest of the World in commemoration of the 72^nd World Health Day, 2022, marked annually on the 7^th of April. The date which marks the establishment of the World Health Organization (WHO), that draws Worldwide attention to the importance of health. The World Health Day was first observed on July 22, 1949, then later shifted to April 7. Since 1950, the World Health Organization has selected themes every year to celebrate World Health Day. The theme for 2022 World Health Day is “Our Planet, Our Health”.

The Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations, and the Media commemorated the day starting with a Health Walk followed by Ministerial Press briefing.

Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) participated in the event.

Addressing the press, the Honorable Minister of State for Health, Dr Mamora Olorunimbe commended the World Health Organization for creating awareness where we can re-imagine a World with clean air, water and food available to all and economies concentrate on the health and well-being of people and their cities, where people have control over their health and the health of the planet.

The theme “Our planet, our health” emphasized the area of priority for WHO. It looked at the connection between the health of our planet and the health of every living creature – humans, plants, and animals in the concept of “One Health”.

The current impact of various environmental crises such as climate change, pollution, food, waterborne diseases, emerging and remerging infectious diseases and extreme weather events on the planet’s health and individuals is increasingly difficult to ignore. It is important to put in place environmentally friendly practices to cushion the harmful impact that climate change is having on our health across the globe.

In line with the World Health Day theme, governments will bring together experts, policymakers, stakeholders, and development partners to set up a committee to discuss the scientific ways of improving and benefitting from a healthy planet in Nigeria.

According to Dr Mamora, the Federal Ministry of Health will reflect on the need for strategic ideas and priorities through:

• Prioritizing long term decision-making that stabilizes the welfare and security of Nigerians and their environment,
• Prioritizing efforts that will keep the private sector and other socio-economic organizations’ environment and their health goals in safe hands,
• Implementing policies that reduce the use of fossil fuels and its exploration, to increase clean energy production and use,
• Increase of fossil fuels related tax as an incentive for carbon reduction,
• Implementing the WHO air quality guidelines to shift the country towards a green economy by 2030.

These, the Honorable Minister said would serve as the basis for a framework for an Action Plan towards reducing human and planetary health threats, which will improve the lives of many Nigerians and their environment while reducing exposure to environmental risks for future generations.

The WHO Nigeria Head of Mission and Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Molumbo represented by Dr Alexander Chimbaru, Deputy WHO Representative in Nigeria spoke extensively on the achievements of the WHO collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria. According to Dr Alexander, the WHO is mobilizing efforts across all its offices in the 36 states of Nigeria to urgently initiate climate change and health adaptation and mitigation actions in the country.

The WHO is committed to supporting the development of Nigeria’s National Health Adaptation Plan (NHAP) and conducting assessment of the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the health systems to climate change, comprising essential public health interventions, in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and COP26 Health Programs.

Goodwill messages poured in from other development partners and CSOs to commemorate the World Health Day 2022.

By Philip Akoso, LISDEL