World Health Day

It's the perfect time to get employees involved in their own healthy journey.

World Health Day is an excellent opportunity to incentivize employees to consider their physical and mental health. World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th

HR professionals have tackled many unforeseen challenges with poise over the last few years. The challenges have often included an eye toward the wellbeing of employees.

Perhaps the most meaningful role HR can play within an organization is supporting employee health and wellbeing.

World Health Day is an international day for global health education, awareness and a perfect time to mobilize employees to a healthier lifestyle.

World Health Day marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948.

Woman holding a paper heart for world health day
Graphic colorful image of a woman created by the World Health Organization for the 75th Anniversary of world health day

World Health Organization

How can you mark World Health Day?

World Health Day focuses on global healthcare issues and equity.

But it’s also all about creating awareness and taking action for health issues and to better take care of ourselves. 

On a more personal level, physical activity is a great way to mark the day. Outdoor activities like hiking and bicycling, as well as group walks are organized. Some organizations conduct charity drives and fundraisers.

We’ve complied a few ideas you might leverage for your own World Health Day of awareness and recognition.

World Health Day Awareness

Hold a World Health Day lunch with HR and discuss which healthcare and wellness options are available to employees. Focus on healthy living topics.

Be sure to focus on underutilized benefits employees can access to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Those might include incentives for lifestyle changes or access to exercise and gym membership options.

And don’t forget to get healthy lunch options! Personal health often starts with what you eat, so the meals of the day are all about maintaining a balanced diet.

HR Department talking about celebrating world health day
Employee wellness had a hand in reduced levels of burnout, better social wellbeing, higher levels of belonging, and an increased feeling of thriving. (Gallup/workhuman)
fitness-watch

Celebrate Employees with World Health Day Themes

Recognize and celebrate the work employees have accomplished over the last two years – especially with all the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Many folks have worked especially long hours to cover gaps in the organization.

Provide access to health-related incentives such as sporting goods or exercise related premiums. Rewards can range from high-end sports watches all the way to water bottles and exercise towels.

Across the US, only 43% of employees believe that their employers care about their work-life balance. (stress.com)

World Health Day Employee Challenges

Conduct a World Health day challenge.

There is no better wellness theme than World Health Day.

Get teams to commit to certain kinds of activities over a defined period of time that are appropriate for your organization. It might be a lunchtime walk. Have folks commit to a 15-minute group walk during breaks for example.

That kind of commitment works for shift workers at a factory as well as for office and remote workers. Mix it up and encourage employees to pick up litter to further motivate staff.

It’s a great way to get your employees moving. Be sure to reward participation! Peer pressure is a great motivator.

group walk world health day challenge

Do the “Noon Walk” – walk a mile during lunch with coworkers and count the miles. A Monthly Certificate of Achievement and an incentive can be awarded each month 

World Health Day Screenings

Focus on long-term health by highlighting how even just a little added physical activity can contribute to health and wellbeing.

You can even make it a valuable motivator by conducting a health screening that measures physical characteristics, such as height, weight, blood pressure, and provides the data to the employee.

A trained medical clinician will check blood pressure, calculate body mass index (BMI), and measure blood cholesterol levels.

Organizations might also use the anonymized data to get a sense of overall employee health. It’s a good idea to use this data to benchmark and evaluate changes in overall employee health over time. HR will often work with the healthcare insurance provider to conduct these.

The results of a biometric screening can drive wellness initiatives that create an overall healthier workforce.

 

(As with all health matters, privacy and employee choice must be respected)

About World Health Day:

World Health Day (WHD), held every year on 7 April, marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 and each year focuses on a specific public health concern.

The theme for 2024 is “My health, my right.”

It’s an especially valuable opportunity to emphasize how important personal and global health is and raise awareness about health issues that affect people all over the globe.

In addition to focusing on the journey to achieving Health For All, WHO last year observed its 75th anniversary under the theme 75 years of improving public health.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) was established on April 7, 1948, and the first World Health Day was celebrated on April 7, 1950, to mark the anniversary of the organization’s founding. The purpose of World Health Day is to raise awareness about global health issues and to mobilize action to improve health outcomes for people around the world. Each year, a different theme is chosen to highlight a particular health issue that requires attention and action.

In recent years, the WHO has faced criticism for its handling of certain health issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have called for reforms to strengthen the organization’s capacity to respond to global health threats and to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

Despite these challenges, the WHO remains a vital organization in the global effort to promote health and wellbeing for all people, and World Health Day continues to serve as an important reminder of the importance of this work.

Healthy Lifestyles

The WHO works with governments, non-governmental organizations, and other partners to promote global health and reduce health disparities. Its efforts include providing technical assistance and guidance to countries, conducting research, developing evidence-based policies, and advocating for health as a fundamental human right. In recent years, World Health Day has focused on issues such as mental health, universal health coverage, and the importance of vaccinations. The themes are chosen based on the current state of global health and the most pressing issues that need attention.

The WHO works with governments, non-governmental organizations, and other partners to promote global health and reduce health disparities. Its efforts include providing technical assistance and guidance to countries, conducting research, and developing evidence-based policies, and advocating for health as a fundamental human right. In recent years, World Health Day has focused on issues such as mental health, universal health coverage, and the importance of vaccinations. The themes are chosen based on the current state of global health and the most pressing issues that need attention.

A Healthy Reminder

World Health Day serves as a reminder that global health is a shared responsibility and that everyone has a role to play in promoting health and wellbeing. It is a day to raise awareness about important health issues and to encourage individuals, communities, and governments to take action.

In addition to raising awareness, World Health Day also provides an opportunity to recognize the contributions of healthcare workers around the world. These individuals play a critical role in promoting health and treating illness, and their efforts are essential in achieving the goal of global health for all.

Overall, World Health Day is an important event that highlights the importance of global health and encourages individuals and governments to take action to promote health and wellbeing around the world.

Using Incentives for World Health Day

Incentives and rewards are a great way to reinforce your message for World Health Day. Employee wellness is the focus, not the incentives, but incentives and rewards can help significantly with memorability. Rewards and incentives communicate that employees matter, and that health and wellbeing are important enough to warrant extra attention.

Employee incentive and rewards programs are effective in motivating and engaging employees. Using incentives for an employee wellness plan can be an effective way to encourage employees to take part in healthy behaviors and make positive lifestyle and health related changes.

Here are just a few reasons you should consider using incentives for your World Health Day employee wellness program:

Increase participation:

Incentives can motivate employees to participate in the wellness program. If employees see that there is a reward for their participation, they may be more likely to sign up and engage in the program.

Encourage healthy behaviors:

Incentives and rewards can encourage employees to adopt healthy behaviors such as exercising regularly, eating well, and reducing stress. Healthy behaviors can bring about improved health outcomes, and that may result in reduced healthcare costs for both the employee and the company.

Improve morale:

Offering incentives can show employees that the company values their health and well-being. This can improve morale and increase employee engagement, which can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction.

Provide a sense of accomplishment:

Incentives can provide a sense of achievement for employees who reach certain health and wellness goals. Gifts can memorialize the achievement. This can boost self-esteem and motivate employees to continue to make healthy choices.

Make your company stand out:

Offering incentives for a wellness program can differentiate your company apart from others in your industry. It shows that your organization is committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle for employees and is willing to support wellness goals.

Adding incentives and rewards to your World Health Day programs can go a long way to encouraging employees to adopt healthy choices and improve their wellbeing.

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