World Health Day: Five Common Ailments Around the World

April 7 is World Health Day, which was created by the World Health Organization to raise awareness about our world’s common ailments and global health crises. We’ve got plenty of those, don’t we?

Despite the dramatic rise in life expectancy in recent decades, and the proliferation of life-saving medicines and technology, there are still plenty of alarming trends to be aware of. Here’s an overview of some common ailments that are of particular concern.

From Maine to Spain to Bahrain, We’ve All Got Back Pain

Who would have thought back pain would be the number one cause of disability worldwide? No matter what country you live in, no matter what your job is, an injury to your back can be devastating. So be sure to protect this critical part of your body. Take steps to strengthen it. Lift with your legs. Mind your posture. Make sure your ergonomics are ship-shape.

Take good care of your back!

An Explosion of Diabetes

Beating diabetes is the focus for this year’s World Health Day—and for good reason. There has been an absolute explosion of diabetes cases around the world, due in large part to increasingly poor eating habits, obesity, and inactivity.

Today is a great day to make a plan to avoid this illness. Managing, beating, and preventing diabetes are all possible.

Heart Disease: One of the World’s Biggest Killers

Heart disease and related cardiovascular ailments are the world’s most lethal killers. The way we eat, smoke, drink—and even sit—are contributing factors to why heart disease takes more lives every year than any other illness.

Depression Is No Joke

It’s estimated that 350 million people struggle with depression. It’s one of the world’s most common ailments. And it’s much more than just a mental health issue. Depression can have a profound economic, educational, and social impact on a community and beyond. It’s not something to be ignored or taken lightly.

There are lots of resources out there to assist those who struggle with depression and other mental health issues, it’s just a matter of taking that first step to get help.

Neither Is Diarrhea

Didn’t think you’d see this word today, did you? Unfortunately, diarrhea is a deadly serious issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Diarrhea kills 2,195 children each day—more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined.”

Whoa.

It’s sad but true, but the lack of sanitation and clean water throughout the developing world makes something as simple and treatable as diarrhea a matter of life and death.

In India alone, diarrhea is responsible for the deaths of 700,000 children every year, and more than 640 million people (roughly twice the entire U.S. population) do not use a toilet.

Common Ailments, Common Cures

Obviously there’s no silver bullet to all the world’s common ailments, illnesses, and issues that cause us so much pain and grief. But there are steps we can take to get a bit healthier each day. Some measure of prevention is within our power.

We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control what we put into our bodies. We can kick the tobacco habit. We can mix in healthier ingredients. We can choose to get up off the sofa and go for a walk.

This World Health Day, we can all do something or make some sort of change to pursue a healthy, long, and prosperous life.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

About Council for Disability Awareness

Council for Disability Awareness has written 478 posts in this blog.

The Council for Disability Awareness is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the American public about the risk and consequences of experiencing an income-interrupting illness or injury. The CDA engages in research, communications, and educational activities that provide information and helpful resources to wage earners, employers, financial advisors, consultants, and others who are concerned about the personal and financial impact a disability can have on wage earners and their families.