World Health Day – Why Mental Health Is Our Mission

05.April 2023

On 7 April, we are celebrating World Health Day – the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Everyone has the right to live a healthy and happy life and working to improve the psychosocial health of those in need is what drives us at RED NOSES. To us, mental health and well-being have always been a priority. We believe that in laughter there is hope. There’s even science to back it up! Studies suggest that humour can help people cope with the aftereffects of trauma-related health outcomes.

It’s often the case that people facing difficult health circumstances or crisis situations have their immediate needs met, such as medicine and food, but are lacking in psychosocial and mental health support. This is why our team at RED NOSES International (RNI) created the Emergency Smile programme (ES).

ES missions send a team of clowns and a Head of Mission to crisis settings, in an effort to address the high levels of adversity, stress, and trauma faced by those affected. The psychological impact of life-altering crises should not be underestimated, which is why our ES team works hard to bring humour, joy, and relief to those who need it most. You can read more about Emergency Smile missions right here.

On this year’s World Health Day, WHO will be reflecting on the past 75 years of medical discoveries and celebrating how far we’ve come to improve the lives and health of people around the globe. While there’s still a long way to go, at RED NOSES, we’re thankful every day to have the opportunity to work towards improving the mental health of those in need through laughter.

World Health Day serves to remind us that we all need to keep working to address the healthcare needs of people around the world. At RED NOSES, we’ll continue our mission to address psychosocial needs through the art of clowning. Let’s come together on this year’s World Health Day to celebrate the power of one of the best medicines there is, laughter!

Photo credits: © CZERWONE NOSKI - Tomasz Wilczkiewicz / © RED NOSES International - Craig Russel

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