Across the globe, the fundamental right to health for millions faces escalating threats. Diseases and disasters cast ominous shadows, claiming lives and causing disabilities. Conflicts ravage communities, inflicting death, suffering, hunger, and mental anguish. Simultaneously, the burning of fossil fuels exacerbates the climate crisis and deprives us of the right to breathe clean air, as both indoor and outdoor pollution claim a life every 5 seconds.

Although at least 140 countries acknowledge health as a human right in their constitutions, many fail to enact and enforce laws ensuring access to health services for their populations. This stark reality underscores that over 4.5 billion people—more than half of the world’s population—lack full coverage of essential health services as of 2021. In response to such challenges, the theme for World Health Day 2024 is 'My health, my right’.

Where can I read more? To find out more about World Health Day, you can visit the World Health Organisation website here.

Links to activities and resources: The United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) has a page with background information and teaching activities for World Health Day. You can download activities for primary and secondary schools as well as a factsheet for teachers here.

The Global Dimension website has a wealth of global learning resources for children ages 3 – 16+ under a wide range of topics including ‘Health and Well-being. You can view the resources here.

Global Dimension has also created resource packs for ages 7-11 and 11-16 to get learners thinking about some of the different ways in which we can look after our health and well-being. You can access the resource packs for free here.