City Desk :
Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region Saima Wazed has called for making the right to health a reality for all as WHO is committed to advancing the right to health and other human rights.
She made the call on the occasion of the World Health Day to be celebrated on April 7 to mark the foundation of the World Health Organization, said a press release received here on Wednesday, reports BSS.
The spotlight of this year’s the World Health Day is ‘My Health, My Right’, as in a world witnessing multiple crises, from diseases to disasters to conflicts and climate change, realizing people’s right to health is now more important than ever, according to the press release.
“Realizing the right to health for all means creating conditions where everyone, everywhere can access high quality health facilities, services and goods that prioritize people’s needs, understanding and dignity,” the Regional Director said.
“It also means a full set of rights that enable people to live healthily, such as education, safe water and food, nutritious food, adequate housing, good working and environmental conditions and information-or the underlying determinants of health,” she added.
To fulfill the right to health, both health services and the underlying determinants should be available, accessible, acceptable and of adequate quality, the Regional Director emphasized.
“The right to the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health – or, the right to health has been core to WHO’s mission, globally and in the Region. It is enshrined in WHO’s Constitution,” Saima Wazed said.
“However, despite progress, we still have a considerable way to go to make the right to health a reality for all in the WHO South-East Asia Region,” the Regional Director said.
As WHO marks its seventy-sixth year on 7 April, the South-East Asia Region has seen many gains and has much to celebrate with regard to the right to health, according the press release issued by WHO South-East Asia Region.
