World Health Organisation

WHO…World Heath Organisation

A bit of trivia information for you today…

Google was my friend today taking me to Wikipedia, every man’s fount of knowledge and easy to understand. There I just learnt that on April 7 every year W.H.O. celebrates “world health day”. This commenced in 1950 being the year before I was born….and THAT makes me feel old!

Each year a different topic is discussed with Vector Borne Diseases being chosen for this year.

Vector-borne diseases” are infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria and parasites that living creatures carry and pass on to other living creatures…..cited by the British Columbia Ministry of Health.

http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/protect/ehp_vector.html

What is a vector? Well a common one is the humble mosquito. Not very humble though as there a many varieties of mosquito in different parts of the world which cause a multitude of illnesses. I suppose the most commonly known one is Malaria which is the scourge of the tropic as also is Dengue fever….A friend of ours travelling in the Philippines contracted this and was very ill and still suffers at times some of its effects.

Another is the Varroa mite which attacks healthy bees and causes hive collapse due to weakened bees, with devastating effect. Google the word to find out more.

This attack on bees has the potential to have massive effects on food production. Little hard-working bees which we see every day in our gardens, amongst the herbs, on flowering trees, on our Australian native trees, the eucalyptus gum trees. All over the world. They are the backbone of our ecology, the food bowls…..besides providing that golden honey.

How can we encourage bees into our gardens? Plant flowering herbs or companion plants in amongst our established garden….
and watch that little bee next time. Pause a moment to observe it and give thanks….and in so doing we feed and refresh our inner being.

…..this short post was sparked when I was cleaning out my emails late last night. There was one advertising world health day, so I had to check it out, and as they say the rest is history.

Short and sweet today.

Breathe and observe.