World Health Day 2006

When the World Health Organization was launched in 1948, the First World Health Assembly established an annual World Health Day to "raise global awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization" and form the basis for a long-term advocacy program; since 1950, this has fallen on each April 7th. Over the past 10 years, the different themes have included:

• 2005: Make every mother and child count
• 2004: Road safety
• 2003: Shape the future of life
• 2002: Move for Health
• 2001: Mental Health: Stop Exclusion, Dare to Care
• 2000: Safe Blood Starts with Me
• 1999: Active Aging Makes the Difference
• 1998: Safe Motherhood
• 1997: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• 1996: Healthy Cities for Better Life
• 1995: Global Polio Eradication

On today, World Health Day 2006, the global health community recognizes the critical role of human resources under the theme "Working together for health," which is also the title of this year's corresponding World Health Report. According to their website:

The World Health Report 2006 - Working together for health contains an expert assessment of the current crisis in the global health workforce and ambitious proposals to tackle it over the next ten years, starting immediately. The report reveals an estimated shortage of almost 4.3 million doctors, midwives, nurses and support workers worldwide. The shortage is most severe in the poorest countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where health workers are most needed. Focusing on all stages of the health workers' career lifespan from entry to health training, to job recruitment through to retirement, the report lays out a ten-year action plan in which countries can build their health workforces, with the support of global partners.