World Health Day
7 April 2017
World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization, provides us with a unique opportunity to mobilize action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.
The theme of our 2017 World Health Day campaign is depression.
Depression affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries. It causes mental anguish and impacts on people’s ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends and the ability to earn a living. At worst, depression can lead to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year olds.
Yet, depression can be prevented and treated. A better understanding of what depression is, and how it can be prevented and treated, will help reduce the stigma associated with the condition, and lead to more people seeking help.
Depression: Let’s talk. 1-year on
10 October 2017 -- Today, on World Mental Health Day, our Depression: let’s talk campaign comes to an end. The interest has been phenomenal, with close to 2 million visits to this website and more than 300 activities in 76 countries registered on our campaign app. We hope that you have found the materials published on this site during the last 12 months useful and that you will continue to use them as a resource. Beyond the campaign, our work continues at WHO, in collaboration with governments and partners, to make mental health care a reality for people in all countries of the world.
