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Apr 7, 2005

Aargh Diaries - World Health Day


I entered the office and the Lady in the Corner (I will think of a better nickname later) wished me with a bright smile ,"Happy World Health Day". I mumbled a thanks and wish you the same, and got another excuse to delay starting my work.

Thought, what does stuff like these mean to me?
Do I get a day off? No. Do I get gifts and wishes and ecards? No. (On the +ve side I dont have to send ecards and give gifts and no one can be upset with me for forgetting them).

Wonder why the corporate marketing wizkids are yet to make a big deal of this. Will I get free medical check ups, or premium reduced on health insurance on this day? (If any takes the idea from my blog, do mention atleast a thanks, I cant imagine anyone paying me for original ideas). When will there be concerts on World Health Day sponsered of course my cola makers, chip makers and mineral water made by cigarette & alcohol companies. Perhaps in few years.

Hmmm at the moment, its just about media putting up press releases from WHO which it doesnt read. (Check World Water Day gaffe by CNN Indiatimes etc here).

This year's Theme is "Make Every Mother and Child Count "

So what are WHO's press release highlights?

  • About 530 000 women a year die in pregnancy or childbirth,
  • More than Three million babies are stillborn,
  • More than Four million newborns die within the first days or weeks of life,
  • and altogether 10.6 million children a year die before their fifth birthday,
  • Out of a total of 136 million births a year worldwide, less than two thirds of women in less developed countries and only one third in the least developed countries have their babies delivered by a skilled attendant.
  • More than 18 million induced abortions each year are performed by people lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking the minimal medical standards, or both, and are therefore unsafe. As a consequence, 68000 women a year die.
  • Almost 90% of all deaths among children under five years of age are attributable to just six conditions. And most of them preventable.

This happens not in the developed but in the developing mainly, therefore its preventable. And its still a Major problem in India. Check 5 minutes and Do U Know - neo natal deaths

But then, this is not even worth discussing, unless its children killed by terrorists in a school. So I wont bother to discuss it with my colleagues during lunchtime today or with friends after going home.

It doesnt touch my reality. So what if my apathy kills mothers and kids, so what if some would think of me as a passive terrorist, I will blame the politicians and move on... Yeah in the 5 minutes it took to write this post, an Indian woman just died..

Aaaaaaaaaaargh. I have been wasting my time. I better get the latest on Dada, Prince Charles Wedding and aah there is an interesting article on jobs according to zodiac, in Indiatimes. Better update myself on that.

8 comments:

  1. How many such days will we have? Every year, there is the usual lot of Health/Child/Mother/Water/Cancer days, but do the suffering people get better? No! These are days when officials visit some orphanage to feel good about themselves. The really dedicated ones are those who work for the whole year, trying to better the lives of those who are less fortunate.

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  2. Not only these, we have mother's day, father's day and what not!!! If it continues like this, all the days of the year will be one or the other day!! People will start fighting over what date should be what day :-p

    As Bob Dylan says "People are crazy, times are strange" :)

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  3. didnt knew that there is health day also, I thought the wine day yesterday was the epitome of days..is there a cigarette day also?

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  4. Do we really need these so called DA(Z)E? But I blv we are not the ones who created all these da(z)e. Its all for money created by all these card companies...Why cant we have each and every day celebrated as Health Day or Mother Day or Father Day?
    Any clue....

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  5. well this is decided probably by WHO or organisations like that.
    News on issues or important but not urgent category. After all how would I have come across these data if there hadnt been a World Health Day?

    The first step towards actions on this is to create awareness, and media is the main tool for awareness. But if there wasnt a World Health Day, would media write any article on this?

    When I had a Do u know on World Water Day it was appalling to find even sites like CNN using 3 years old outdated data, though the WHO etc had released fresh data. If I could see the glaring difference in figures which ran in millions, the media couldnt and didnt even care that the figured has increased by so much in few years. Thats the attitude of media.

    So I am all for having these kinds of days. But other than this, Mother Day Father Day Valentine Day etc, well, it depends on the person:)

    There is a day on Cancer and anti smoking I think.

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  6. deeps :)) i get a good laugh when i visit sites like 123greeting and try to figure out days
    Last there was a polar bear day

    I forgot when Boss day comes, when i was workin made it a point to wish him.
    and he wished his boss after I told him and so he earned probably points on that too:D

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  7. "and he wished his boss"

    So how far did this a$$-kissing line continue, do you think?!

    LOL!

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  8. well my boss was vp and he wished the MD so the line probably stopped there :))

    hey its just a wish :D and if it works wonders, why should i crib :D

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Have a Great Day!