Highlights of World Health Day 2024 emphasizing the right to health in WHO EMRO region

World Health Day 2024 is approaching with the theme “My health, my right”, emphasizing the importance of health as a fundamental human right. The World Health Organization (WHO) has long recognized health as a human right, enshrined in its constitution and in the constitutions of many countries worldwide.

Despite this recognition, millions of people still lack access to essential health services, with at least 4.5 billion people not fully covered. This stark reality calls for urgent action to ensure that everyone has the right to health and other related human rights.

Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighted the urgency of realizing the right to health in a region plagued by public health crises, outbreaks, and humanitarian emergencies. Diseases, disasters, conflicts, and socioeconomic factors continue to threaten human rights and exacerbate health inequities.

This year’s World Health Day campaign aims to mobilize all segments of society to protect the right to health and address the social determinants of health. Policy-makers, communities, civil society, and individuals are called upon to uphold international commitments and take action at the global, national, and local levels to ensure health for all, especially the most vulnerable.

Dr. Balkhy emphasized the need for action to address injustices, reduce health inequities, and prioritize the needs of marginalized populations. As the world faces ongoing challenges, the call for the right to health has never been more critical.