World Health Day 2021

The United Nations governing body set up 30 Sustainable Development Goals that they hope to achieve by 2030, and one of those goals is Good Health and Well-being. We are currently nine years away from 2030, and this World Health Day we need to pay special attention to how far we came as a community and how far we have to go.

“Building a fairer, healthier world.”

What is World Health Day?

Ever since 1950, April 7^th has been given significant importance in a global context, as communities aim to create awareness of specific health themes that highlight areas of concern for that particular year, in association with the World Health Organization.

Over the past 50 years, it has shed light on some very important health issues such as mental health, maternal care, and diabetes. Celebration of this day is more than just a one-day event, rather it tries to educate people and get them involved in much healthier lifestyles.

World Health Day 2021 theme

The theme for this year is, ‘Building a fairer, healthier world.’ Although nations have been moving forward in ensuring that they provide good healthcare for all, there are too many exceptions and the global pandemic has made these gaps in society more gaping – pushing more people into poverty and food insecurity, amplified gender, social and health inequities.

What are our statistics as a nation?

According to the International Diabetes Federation, Sri Lanka has been identified as one of the countries that are at high risk of diabetes. A study shows that at least 8.7% of the adult population, that is approximately 1,232,800 people are at risk or have been diagnosed with diabetes. Whilst, Saudi Arabia has at least 18.7% (4,275,200) individuals as high risk or diagnosed with diabetes.

According to the Global Cancer Observatory, Sri Lanka recorded at least 29,604 new cancer patients in the year 2020, with at least 13.4% of them being diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and Saudi Arabia recorded 27,885 new cases with 14.4% of them being diagnosed with Colorectum and 14.2% of them with Breast Cancer.

These are just a few of the many health disorders out there, but these numbers show us why exactly we need to be concerned. Why we need to take further steps at making healthcare affordable and available for all, and why we as individuals should pay special heed to the things we consume and expose ourselves to.

Your Health – Our Priority

We at Cloud Solutions pay a keen eye towards your well-being and that of your family – we do so by providing employees with a comfortable, ergonomic work environment, sufficient breaks in between long hours of work and most importantly providing employees with health insurance policy that covers them as well as their family generously. We also do not penalize an employee for sick days, as we know we are all human and bound to fall ill every once in a while.

What can we do to stay healthy?

As tempting as it might be to stay in bed, eat your comfort food and Work from home, Do Not! Despite all of us being more restricted than we used to be in the past, it is important to pay special attention to your health, especially because of the widespread pandemic.

• Eat Healthily: Learning about balanced diets when we were younger has not made it easier to implement them in our lives as we grew older because as we grew older we became more focused on instant meals and comfort food, rather than food that serves our system. Stop that! Work harder on maintaining a balanced diet and eating healthily. Do not skip meals!
• Stay Fit: Despite our busy schedules, we must allocate some of our time to staying fit. Staying fit doesn’t necessarily have to be hitting the gym, it could be anything that interests you. Break into a dance once in a while, skip rope, walk a little. If you have kids, use this time to bond with them, make them run around so you would too. Do what suits you best.
• Boost your immunity: In times as right now, it is important to pay special heed to boost immunity. Include sweet potatoes, broccoli, blueberries, fish, ginger and almonds into your diet, as these are a few of the many immuno-boosters out there. 
• Pay special attention to posture whilst working: The bliss of working from home is something that we all love. However, do not forget the reason why your workspace has ergonomic chairs, they care for your posture and your health, and you should too. Avoid slouching or lying in bed as you work. Creating a comfortable work environment whilst also ensuring that you are sitting upright, your wrists are well-rested, and you are keeping a fair distance away from the screen so you do not strain your eyes would improve the way you work. If you are working for longer hours, consider investing in blue-filter glasses or blue-filtered screens.
• Follow standards set by the World Health Organization: COVID-19 has taken the world by surprise and has now caused a series of waves in many countries. Despite regulations being eased in your country, ensure that you always follow Health regulations set by the WHO and maintain distance, wash your hands regularly and most importantly, wear your masks.

A lot of us, reading this article are a few of the lucky ones who are privileged enough to receive good health care and take good care of ourselves, but there are many out there who are not as privileged. So as we strive to achieve equal healthcare for everyone, we must play our role in keeping ourselves safe and ensuring the safety of others, the best we can.

References:

• International Diabetes Federation: Sri Lanka- https://idf.org/our-network/regions-members/south-east-asia/members/98-sri-lanka.html

• Saudi Arabia: https://idf.org/our-network/regions-members/middle-east-and-north-africa/members/46-saudi-arabia.html

• Global Cancer Observatory: Sri Lanka – https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/144-sri-lanka-fact-sheets.pdf

• Saudi Arabia- https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/682-saudi-arabia-fact-sheets.pdf

• Food that boosts immunity: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322412#which-foods-boost-the-immune-system