Our health and the health of our planet are inextricably linked, and the need to focus on creating healthy societies on a healthy planet is becoming more and more apparent.
The 2022 World Health Day theme centres on this link between the health of our planet and the health of humans, animals, plants – all living creatures. In line with the One Health approach, which emphasizes the interdependence of animal, human and environmental health, this year’s WHO/Europe campaign will promote messages and activities that showcase how individual choices and social behaviours impact our environment.
While humans contribute to environmental degradation with unsustainable behavioural patterns, we can and must also be part of the solution when it comes to addressing the single biggest health threat that humanity faces – the climate crisis.
Everything is interconnected: the problems, the solutions and us
Rising temperatures, floods and extreme rainfall are all ways in which climate change is impacting the lives of millions of people in the WHO European Region. At the same time, other human-caused health threats like air pollution, ecosystem degradation, and the production and consumption of tobacco are exacerbating the damage to our planet. These are themes that will be explored alongside the initiatives implemented in cities across the Region.
WHO/Europe is calling on everyone to reimagine a world where clean air, water and food are available to all, where economies are focused on planetary and human health and well-being, and where healthy, people-centred cities, villages and communities create conditions for people to lead better lives.