World Humanitarian Day ~THANKS HEALTH HERO!~
World Humanitarian Day is a time to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the globe. The day was designated by the General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
WHO’s theme for this year’s World Humanitarian Day is “Thanks Health Hero!” To mark the event, WHO is launching a campaign focusing on health workers who provide healthcare under challenging circumstances whether it be in a conflict, natural disaster, communicable disease outbreak, or in resource poor settings.
WKC joins this campaign in honouring health workers worldwide and our partners in Japan, who dedicate their lives to working in public health. Health workers act as humanitarians by ensuring that health is a fundamental right of every human being, as stated in the WHO constitution.
Health workers are at the front lines serving others without regard to race, colour, nationality and their own lives. They are the guardians of health. In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, 875 health worker Ebola infections were reported as of 5 July 2015. More than half of them - 509 health workers died. In 2014 alone, 603 health care workers died, and 958 were injured, from violent attacks during humanitarian emergencies in 32 countries in 2014.
Health workers work under exceptionally challenging circumstances. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction included over 30 actions to support health emergency management. World Humanitarian Day begins the countdown to the first World Humanitarian Summit will take place in May 2016 in Istanbul Turkey that will mobilize worldwide action to respond to humanitarian crises. WHO, and the WHO Kobe Centre, supports countries in many ways during humanitarian agencies.
-- WHO Humanitarian Health Action
-- WHO Western Pacific Region/Emergency and Humanitarian Action
WKC honours the many health workers and institutions in Japan who selflessly come to the aid of others. The only WHO Collaborating Centre dedicated to Nursing in Disaster Situations is located at the University of Hyogo, and the Kochi University, the University of Hyogo School of Nursing, and three other Japanese schools of nursing have launched an innovative doctoral programme in nursing in disaster situations.
Join us as we send messages of thanks to health heroes around the world using the hashtag #ThanksHealthHero.
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WHD is designated by the General Assembly, and a world-wide campaign organised by UN agencies including OCHA and their partners.