This House of Lords Library briefing provides information on World Health Day, which takes place on Friday 7 April. This year’s theme is ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’.
World Health Day, 7 April 2017 (91 KB , PDF)
World Health Day is observed on 7 April each year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is among a number of global health days promoted by the WHO, which provides a “unique opportunity to mobilise action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world”. The health theme for 2017 is ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’. Preceding the day, the WHO undertakes a range of promotional activities, including events, and makes available news releases, resources for government and policymakers and tailored materials for different world regions.
World Health Day, 7 April 2017 (91 KB , PDF)
In 2024, the House of Lords established a committee to consider the prevention and consequences of preterm birth in England. This briefing provides a summary of the House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee findings, reactions to its report, and the government’s response, ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on 6 June 2025.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.
The House of Lords is due to discuss NHS staff access to single-sex spaces on 1 May 2025. Following a recent Supreme Court judgment about the meaning of the term ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued an interim update on 25 April 2025 about the implications of this for workplaces and services provided to the public.
