This Sunday (7 April 2019) is World Health Day.
As health is such an enormous topic, each World Health Day focuses on a specific area. This year, the World Health Organization (WHO), is focusing on raising the profile of universal healthcare.
The goals of this year’s campaign are:
- To improve understanding of universal health coverage and the importance of primary health care as its foundation.
- To spur action from individuals, policy-makers and health-care workers to make universal health care a reality for everyone.
There are many initiatives and key pieces of research focused on improving healthcare and access to it across the world.
Right here in Southampton for example, our researchers are working to improve maternal and child healthcare in India.
Professor Sabu Padmadas and Professor Zoe Matthews are working with colleagues across Norway and India to improve maternal healthcare.
Others are looking at ways to improve access to key information about contraception in Uganda.
Dr Merlin Willcox, Academic Lecturer in Primary Healthcare, is working collaboratively with colleagues from the University of Leeds, and various universities and healthcare organisations in Uganda to create meaningful and useful videos on family planning and contraception.
Dr Willcox said:
“Every year, thousands of women and children in Uganda die as a result of problems during pregnancy and childbirth. Our research in 2011-2015 showed that about 20% of these deaths could have been avoided by the use of contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies.”
Dr Alex Dickinson, Lecturer in Engineering and Physical Sciences, is leading a multidisciplinary team of engineers and health scientists from Southampton to assess how useful a range of digital technologies could be to prosthetic limb provision in Cambodia.
A bit closer to home, on Sunday 7 April, in celebration of World Health Day, the Health and Wellbeing Community Hub within the Public Engagement with Research unit is holding three free workshops, hosted by The Art House Cafe in the city centre. The workshops recognise the importance of looking after our own personal health.
The creative workshops will involve painting your pain, painting yourself as an island, and exploring how we can take care of our communities. Everyone is wecome to attend. Register for the free event on Eventbrite, or follow the Facebook page for updates.
Examples of artwork from a ‘paint your pain’ workshop
