/ How Do We Recognize World Health Day During A Global Pandemic?

How Do We Recognize World Health Day During A Global Pandemic?

By Megan Torrey, CEO, World Affairs Council of Connecticut

In the lead up to World Health Day 2020, we at the World Affairs Council of Connecticut (CTWAC) sat down with Nan Price, Content Manager at the MetroHartford Alliance. Together, we discussed the incredible work being done in Connecticut leading innovation in health on a global scale. From the Yale Cancer Center to researchers at UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory to dozens of emerging biotech startups and a digital health accelerator, Connecticut is home to some of the world’s best in health research, technology, and care. We wanted to tell that story to recognize these efforts. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Our daily reality has changed. As a state, a nation, and a global community, we’re experiencing the impacts of this pandemic—from the mundane to the difficult to the tragic. World Health Day has a different and personal meaning to each of us as we collectively experience what it means to live during a global pandemic. The crisis we’re living through right now is a clear example of how globally connected we are—it also shows that global issues don’t exist in a vacuum.

The theme of World Health Day 2020 is “Support Nurses and Midwives.” Today we recognize the incredible service of nurses here in Connecticut and around the world. As we all do our best through this difficult time, nurses, midwives, doctors, first responders, and all our health care workers are on the front lines—putting their own health at risk—to keep us safe and healthy. We applaud their dedication, their skill, and their sacrifices.

So, how do we recognize World Health Day during a global pandemic? We take a minute to say: Thank you.

This World Health Day, join us by showing your appreciation to the health workers in your community who are on the frontlines of this global pandemic.

Here’s how leaders in Connecticut and around the world have said thank you:

World Affairs Council of Connecticut Update

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the CTWAC has shifted its public events to digital platforms, including a new live weekly series that addresses some of the global impacts of the pandemic. The series has featured National Security Correspondent and New York Times Senior Writer David Sanger, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn), and Center for a New American Security CEO Richard Fontaine. Each episode is held live with the opportunity for audience questions. Sign up for the CTWAC weekly newsletter for registration and more information.