Action for Global Health celebrates #WorldHealthDay with Twitter Film Festival

April 10, 2023

To celebrate #WorldHealthDay this year, Action for Global Health organised an online film festival to highlight the incredible work that our members are doing to help build a fairer, healthier world for everyone, everywhere.

Every hour we shared the following original films produced by our inspiring members.

Film #1: “What do Healthy Futures mean to you?

Healthy Futures is a UK movement coordinated and run by Action for Global Health.

We believe that no matter who we are or where we live, we all deserve the right to good health. Whether it’s having accessing to essential health care, seeing a doctor when you have concerns or getting your COVID-19 vaccine – everyone has the fundamental human right to a ‘Healthy Future’.

Through Healthy Futures, we hope to unite campaigners, just like you, to call on the UK Government to achieve our goal of health for all.

Join our movement and be part of making Healthy Futures for all a reality: https://healthyfutures.uk/.

Film #2: “The COVID-19 pandemic – 3 years later”

If COVID-19 vaccines had been shared equitably, 1 death every 24 seconds could have been prevented. Yet, its devastating effects continue. Still just 26% of people in low-income countries have received a first vaccine dose.

Government backing of pharmaceutical profit-making has only prolonged the pandemic. Over the last 3 years, we’ve fought hard as a global network, calling for the UK Government to support access to life saving medicine.

The COVID pandemic has shown us that the right to health is more important than ever.

To better prepare for future pandemics, governments must commit to a more equitable and democratic health system that places people over profit.

Film #3: “Our planet, Our health, Our future“

Climate change is the biggest threat to our health, however low and middle-income countries (LMICs) face the dual challenge of the burden of communicable diseases and climate change.

The NIHR Global Health Research Centre for Non-Communicable Diseases and Environmental Change aims to be a recognised centre of excellence on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and global environmental change in LMICs, offering world-leading research, training and policy advice for health equity.

The George Institute’s Centre will focus on Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia, LMICs highly impacted by the dual challenges of NCDs and environmental change.

The George address crucial knowledge gaps through three integrated research themes:

• Populations in Bangladesh, Indonesia and India are amongst the most vulnerable to this threat

• Salinity in drinking water across coastal belts has been associated with increased blood pressure and urinary protein excretion, progressive kidney disease, and (pre)eclampsia and gestational hypertension in pregnant women.

• Unregulated burning of plastic waste releases harmful chemicals such as Dioxin, which dangerously pollute the environment and lead to negative health outcomes such as chronic lung disease, heart diseases and cancers.

• An increasing intake of carbohydrates, rich diet and lack of dietary diversity are risk factors for multiple cardiometabolic diseases.

Film #4: “Light in the Darkness: Ukraine, One Year On”

This film made by young Ukrainian filmmakers for Help Age International released to mark the one-year anniversary of the war looks at how the conflict in Ukraine has impacted on older people and how older people play a major role in helping other people to survive.

Film #5: “No limits to playing football”

Said, a young boy from Zanzibar, would like to be a great footballer one day but schistosomiasis nearly took that dream away from him.

Children across the world are better able to follow their aspirations when their health is not limited. That’s why Unlimit Health work with ministries of health supporting country-owned solutions that end preventable parasitic infections, for good.

Film #6: “Margaret’s Voice – Patient Power in Palliative Care”

Margaret lives in a village in South Africa. She struggled for many years to get treatment for a condition that stopped her eating or talking. Now she is cared for and her family are also supported thanks to the work of The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance.

Her voice may be weak, but her message is powerful and show how palliative care makes a difference.

Film #7: “COVID-19 most significant change story“

Options‘s Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme undertook a COVID-19 Psychosocial Resilience grant project from 2021-2022.

Here is a snapshot of their work thanks to funding from UK Aid.

Film #8: “Ending parasitic disease, together”

Newly rebranded Unlimit Health share their ambitious five year strategy which sets out a new direction for improving health equity through tackling parasitic disease.

This strategy reflects the views of their partners and is aligned with the pillars of The World Health Organization’s neglected tropical disease 2021-30 road map.

Film #9: “COVID-19’s most significant change story”

Options‘s Presbyterian Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Sandema undertook a COVID-19 Psychosocial Resilience grant project for 12 months in 2021-2022.