April 7 World Health Day: Health Comes First!

During these times in which the value of health is once more deeply noticed all around the world, April 7 World Health Day becomes even more meaningful. Since April 7^th 1948, in which the World Health Organization Constitution came into effect to this day, every year the week of April 7-13 are celebrated as ”Health Week”.

Moreover, a theme is decided according to the need and actions are taken accordingly every year.

THE SHORT HISTORY OF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

World Health Organızation founded in Geneva, Switzerland on April 7, 1948, to actualize that all the countries in the world ensure the best health conditions possible and make these conditions accessible to all people. Today, with 194 member countries and ongoing actions all around the world, the World Health Organization also carries on studies to raise awareness. And therefore every year it carries on studies in a healthcare field that needs to be enhanced and cared under a theme.

WHAT IS THE THEME OF WHO FOR THIS YEAR?

The 2020 theme is ‘’ The Year of Nurse and Midwife’’ in which it is planned to bring the working conditions of nurses and midwives who are an inseparable part of health field to the best possible place, raise awareness on the protection of their rights and create new projects on similar subjects. When nurses and midwives who help us in community health centers and hospitals, and duly perform their duties get better working conditions, they help people who are in need with equal power.

THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

According to the Psychiatric Association of Turkey,” Our mental and Physical health complete each other.’’ (1 PAT)

While we take care of our physical health, we shouldn’t ignore our mental health and abstain from consulting the authorities if we need to. In the end, everything is for our health and health comes first.

TWO EXPRESSIONS IN TURKISH ABOUT HEALTH AND WHAT THEY MEAN

In Turkish, there are many terse about different subjects. We can take a look at two of them for today especially. The first one is ‘’ Ayağını sıcak tut, başını serin; gönlünü ferah tut, düşünme derin.*’’

This expression, according to Turkish Language Society, means that ”if we want to protect ourselves against diseases, we should keep our feet warm, our head cool, shouldn’t consider unnecessary things as an annoyance and should be carefree.”( 2 TLS)

The second one is the sentence ‘’ Güneş girmeyen eve doktor girer.*’’ What this sentence wants to tell is that a house which is kept clean, often ventilated and thus a house sun lights can reach is important to human health. If not done, after a while people get sick and have to visit the doctor. When we wake up in the morning, opening the windows and ventilating the room is small but a very useful habit for us to have.

* Ayağını sıcak tut, başını serin; gönlünü ferah tut, düşünme derin: Keep your feet warm, your head cool, comfort your heart, and don’t think too deep:

*Güneş girmeyen eve doktor girer: If the sunshine doesn’t get in a house, a doctor will. : An apple a day keeps the doctor away.