ASK THE DOCTOR: World Health Day

“Together for health. Stand with science.”

On April 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates World Health Day, marking the founding of WHO in 1948. The focus this April and for the coming year celebrates scientific collaboration as key to good health for all people and the planet.

It even has a hashtag for those who want to share the good news on social media (#StandWithScience).

The World Health Day summit and three-day forum on April 7-9 will bring together around 800 scientific bodies from at least 80 countries. Citizens (including youth), political leaders, scientists and interested organizations will meet and work toward building partnerships that benefit the health of our world.

The United States, a founding member and contributor to WHO, withdrew from the organization after 78 years in January, which WHO called “a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe.” But individual U.S. citizens and organizations can still support and work on the cause of evidence-based practices to improve the lives of everyone. Spreading the message about the importance of local, regional, national and international efforts to reduce disease, improve food security and improve lives is one way to continue the work of this organization.

The world is interconnected in many ways and we must share the Earth’s resources. In my profession, medicine, we must follow sound scientific evidence and consider the health of each patient as well as the public health of our communities. It is our duty. Many of us work to reestablish trust in our profession, and we all share deep concerns about implications of cuts to U.S. research funding, which used to be a source of pride in our nation as world leaders and innovators. As citizens, when we go to the polls we can encourage government leaders to engage with WHO projects and consider that as important. Individuals can also donate directly to WHO to support its work.

One of the most frustrating aspects of health care in our country is what we describe as “silos of care.” Like the Midwestern fields where I grew up, silos have a function — to stow away a resource in an enclosed space, separate from everything else. In health care, however, a silo refers to the way all the ingredients needed for good health are stored in different places that are not always easily accessible or in conversation with each other.

Say your health is a perfectly seasoned casserole — a Midwestern delicacy — but the salt, pepper, cream of chicken soup and celery are in four different kitchens that all require a special password to enter. You can forget getting your casserole to the potluck in time. One solution for this scenario is a universal healthcare coverage plan encompassing all the ingredients in one kitchen. In terms of international health concerns, we also need to join forces with other professionals worldwide.

What WHO offers to our world is coherent, consistent access to the ingredients of health, with qualified professionals putting their heads together to make decisions that impact health, safety and interconnectedness. One Health, a program of WHO, focuses on how ecosystems are related (humans, other animals and environments where both live).

For example, a disease carried by an animal can reduce food supply and lead to potential human disease (e.g. avian influenza). Animals can be more susceptible to diseases when their environment is altered, which happens when ecosystems are removed and replaced with something else. It is a complicated relationship to be sure, and it seems wise to work together with people who have studied for years to understand this in order to make the world safer and resources more sustainable.

What has WHO done in the last 78 years? It has been instrumental in eradication and reduction of diseases such as smallpox, malaria, polio and yellow fever. Many thousands of lives have been spared by their work in tropical diseases. WHO helped create the concept of primary care and healthcare access to all. It assisted in global response to HIV/ AIDs. It has helped create frameworks to respond to all kinds of health threats internationally. And this is just a broad overview.

If you explore the WHO website, you can see it also addresses some of the current popular and important aspects of health our government is hoping to address, including healthy food as key to health. You can search the extensive library of information on all aspects of health under “health topics” at who.int.

World Health Day helps us to recognize how each of us can have an impact on the very survival of our species and our planet. On April 7 and beyond, consider making a shoutout to the World Health Organization for providing 78 years of scientifically based, compassionate and economically important services to benefit people and our entire ecosystem.

Dr. Jennifer Heidmann is chief medical officer at Redwood Coast PACE (707-443-9747) at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center. This column should not be taken as medical advice. Ask your medical provider if you have health questions. Send comments to SN@humsenior.org.