The World Health Organisation (WHO) observed its 75th birthday on Friday. We need to make an analysis of the health successes achieved during the last seven decades that have improved quality of life. It is also an opportunity to motivate action for tackling the health challenges we confront at present. It is everybody’s dream to live a disease-free, healthy life. However, the unsustainable practices adopted in the present world and our scanty regard for the environmental quality are injecting diverse toxic materials into our environment, making it unhealthy for us. As a consequence of various pollutions, we are confronting diverse health challenges and diseases.
Nine out of every ten people in the world are exposed to air pollution and such pollution is directly responsible for the death of over 7 million people globally every year. A global study states that in 2019, India topped the world with about 23 lakh of premature, pollution-related deaths, out of which air pollution alone killed around 12.4 lakh. Our lifestyles have undergone radical transformations that create the risk of developing major chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. All these reduce the life expectancy and culminate in health hazards and premature deaths of many. In the process, all the living organisms existing on our planet are also suffering to a great extent.
To highlight these findings, the Orissa Environmental Society (OES) and the Regional Science Centre (RSC), Bhubaneswar jointly organised a programme to observe the World Health Day on Friday. The theme for this year chosen by the WHO was ‘Health for All’.
Chief guest medicine specialist Dr Niraj Kumar Mishra said the present health scenario presents a gloomy picture. He narrated how various health challenges are increasing steadily culminating in enhanced occurrence of various infectious and non-infectious diseases. He stressed that we have to exhibit our commitment to maintain physical fitness, control our diet, keep the mind stress-free and ensure the quality of our environment.
Chairing the programme, OES vice-president Dr Bijay Ketan Patnaik stressed on the awareness generation on health issues, maintaining healthy lifestyles and initiating action programmes to protect environment. Guest of honour Er Soumen Ghosh, Coordinator of RSC, opined that humanity would survive on earth as long as we take care of nature and behave as responsible components of our planet.
OES secretary Dr Jayakrushna Panigrahi focused on the relationship between high-quality environment and a healthy society. He said deterioration in the environmental quality has its detrimental impact on human health.
