World Health Day 2014, April 7th.

"April 7 is World Health Day "World Health Organization (WHO).






The theme World Health DAY - 7 April, 2014 is ‘Vector-borne diseases – small bite, big threat’ and one of the most common vector-borne diseases is dengue fever.

  

The United Nations Secretary-General, in Message for World Health Day, Urges States, Development Partners to Accord Vector-borne Diseases Priority.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Health Day, to be observed on 7 April:

Every year more than 1 million people die from diseases carried by mosquitoes, flies, ticks and other insects, such as triatomine bugs.  These vector-borne diseases — which include malaria, dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis — cause chronic illness and immense suffering for hundreds of millions more.

Climate change, altered habitats and increased international trade and travel are exposing more people to the vectors that transmit these diseases.  They present a risk in all regions, including countries where the threat had formerly been eradicated, but the most affected are the world’s poorest people, especially those who live in remote rural communities far from health services or in urban shanty towns.  By profoundly affecting people’s health, vector-borne diseases are a serious impediment to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

As we work to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and define a post-2015 development agenda, let us recognize that investing in vector control and disease prevention is a wise and necessary investment.  We have the scientific knowledge and have developed proven interventions to tackle these diseases.  In Africa, for example, more than 700 million insecticide-treated bed nets have already helped to cut malaria rates dramatically, particularly among children and pregnant women.

Sustained political commitment can save millions of lives and yield substantial social and economic returns.  But it is important to recognize that vector control goes beyond the health sector.  Poorly planned development initiatives such as forest clearance, dam construction or irrigation to boost food production may increase the disease burden.  Addressing this issue demands an integrated, coherent and united effort across many sectors, including environment, agriculture, water and sanitation, urban planning and education.

Everyone has a role to play in the fight against vector-borne diseases — international organizations, Governments, the private sector, civil society, community groups and individuals.  On this World Health Day, I urge countries and development partners to make vector control a priority.  Let us work together to tackle this serious but eminently preventable threat to human health and development. 

Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

 Climate change and vector-borne diseases: a regional analysis.

On World Health Day 2014, WHO is calling for a renewed focus on vector control and better provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene – key strategies outlined in WHO’s 2011 Roadmap for the control, elimination and eradication of neglected tropical diseases, which sets targets for the period 2012–2020.  

Everyone has a role to play. We urge…

Governments to

- Ensure political commitment and public funding for vector-control programs based on an integrated approach.
- Invest in water and sanitation, waste collection, and urban drainage, especially in areas that are currently underserved.
- Share proven strategies and lessons learned through country-to-country cooperation initiatives.

Health authorities to

- Improve surveillance and monitoring of vector-borne diseases.
- Integrate prevention and control of vector-borne diseases with programs to control other diseases.
- Strengthen monitoring of insecticide and drug resistance, and ensure an effective response.
- Collaborate with other government agencies and sectors, especially the environment, tourism, and education, to strengthen action for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases.
- Work with local authorities to implement vector-control and elimination measures, including safe water supply, sanitation and drainage, control of breeding sites, healthy housing, and garbage collection.

Individuals and families to

- Clean up around their homes and offices to eliminate vegetation, rubbish, and standing water that can serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes and other vectors.
- Protect oneself by wearing long-sleeved clothing, applying insect repellent, and using window screens or bed nets as appropriate.
- Work with governments to improve social and environmental conditions, especially sanitation, waste management, and protection of water sources.

International partners and donors to

- Support the strengthening and sustainability of programs for control and elimination of vector-borne diseases.
- Where needed, provide donations or subsidies of medicines for the control of vector-borne diseases.
- Provide incentives for research and development of new, safer, and more environmentally adapted insecticides; next-generation vector-control tools; and innovative medicines and diagnostics.

 WORLD HEALTH DAY 2014 - Noon Briefing and guest: Dr. Jacob Kumaresan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in New York. UN Web TV.

  

A global brief on Vector-borne diseases. Dr Margaret Chan Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)

Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases between humans or from
animals to humans.
Many of these vectors are bloodsucking insects that ingest disease-producing microorganisms during a blood meal from an infected host (human or animal) and later inject them into a new host during their next blood meal. Mosquitoes are the best known disease vector. Others include certain species of ticks, flies, sandflies, fleas, bugs and freshwater snails .

A global brief on Vector-borne diseases. Dr Margaret Chan Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)