25 April: World Malaria Day

Malaria is a common and life-threatening disease in many tropical and subtropical areas. There is currently a risk of malaria transmission in 91 countries and territories, and these are visited by more than 125 million international travellers every year.

This year’s World Malaria Day coincides with activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of WHO. The Global Malaria Programme is marking the Day with a series of interviews with leaders and advocates in the global malaria response, as they reflect on key moments in fighting this disease over the past 7 decades. Continue reading “25 April: World Malaria Day”

21 April: World Creativity and Innovation Day

In its resolution A/RES/71/284, the General Assembly called for international recognition of April 21 as World Creativity and Innovation Day; a day to raise awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in problem-solving and by extension, in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. More than 80 countries joined in support of the resolution. Continue reading “21 April: World Creativity and Innovation Day”

20 April: Volunteer Recognition Day

There are cynics out there who will say that true altruism is a myth, that it doesn’t exist, and that nobody is capable of doing anything unless they are motivated by their own self-interest in the end. But even the most embittered cynics would be hard-pressed to explain why anyone in their right mind would make the choice to travel to the poorest parts of the world, where hunger, sickness and war ravage the population and death is as commonplace as life, to help care for orphaned children. Or why a comfortable middle-class citizen would choose to spend his or her afternoons teaching neglected teenagers how to read in the dirtiest, most gang-ridden part of town. Or why any nurse would risk his or her life to care for wounded soldiers on the very front. Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all the real-life saints and superheroes of this world. And although they don’t ask to be paid for all of their selfless work, they definitely deserve our utmost respect and appreciation, which is exactly what Volunteer Recognition Day is all about. Continue reading “20 April: Volunteer Recognition Day”

15 April: Microvolunteering Day

Today (15 April 2018) is the “Microvolunteering Day”.

For anyone who might be feeling the urge to do something worthwhile or an itch to give back to the community, but who just can’t quite seem to get around to starting, then Microvolunteering Day could be the answer. Continue reading “15 April: Microvolunteering Day”