Case study: World Health Day 2008

Case study:

WHO World Health Day: http://www.who.int/world-health-day/en/

World Health Day 2008 "Protecting health from climate change" http://www.who.int/world-health-day/previous/2008/en/index.html

World Health Day is on April 7, and every year WHO selects different agendas to focus. In 2008, the theme is "Protecting health from climate change."

The health impacts of climate change will be difficult to reverse in a few years or decades. Yet, many of these possible impacts can be avoided or controlled. There are established steps in health and related sectors to reduce the exposure to and the effect of changing climate. For example, controlling disease vectors, reducing pollution from transport, and efficient land use and water management are well-known and tested measures that can help.The goals of the campaign are list below:

• Raise awareness and public understanding of the global and locally relevant health consequences of climate change.

• Advocate for interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships from the local to international level that seek to improve health through rapid deployment of mitigation strategies to stabilize climate change and development of proactive adaptation programmes to minimize health impacts.

• Generate effective actions by local communities, organizations, health systems and governments to reduce the impact of climate change on health through urgent application of mitigation and adaptation techniques.

• Demonstrate the health community’s role in facing the challenges globally and in regions, countries and communities.

• Spark commitment and action among governments, international organizations, donors, civil society, businesses and communities (especially among young people) to anchor health at the heart of the climate change agenda.

The campaign focused on children who live under the threat of severe climate change.

WHO - World Health Day 2008 - PSA

WHO - PSA Health and Climate Change - Breathe

Campaign materials
http://www.who.int/world-health-day/previous/2008/toolkit/en/index.html

I still feel like the campaign is to raise people's awareness, but I don't know it affected people or not. Like I said before, I would like to create something that you can actually see people's attitude is changing by it. I think I need to work with non-profit organizations or MTA because I think Design should work with policy to reach the goal. For example, Clean Air Campaign works with Georgia Department of Transportation to promote "Commuter Refunds." If design get more involved into the program, maybe more and more people will be willing to take transit. And we can examine the statistics before and after design gets involved.

My proposal is to create a campaign for improve air quality by taking mass transit in NYC. I found out that NYC government has a campaign called GreeNYC. I am thinking that maybe I can work with them. 

Or United Nation for World Health Day only?

Here is a list of events on World Health Day, 2008.
http://www.who.int/world-health-day/previous/2008/activities/events/en/index.html