If you could wish for one thing for all of mankind, what would it be?
That’s the question we posed to people throughout Johnson & Johnson in homage to World Health Day, which has been commemorated each year since the World Health Organization was founded.
It’s a chance to stop and reflect on an important world health issue, and this year, the theme is “Beat Diabetes.” According to WHO, the number of people living with the disease has nearly quadrupled since 1980, so the focus is on raising awareness about the disease worldwide.
But World Health Day can also be a time to look at how we can help improve the world in a more holistic way—as you will see from these moving wishes.
“If I were granted one wish for World Health Day, it would be that we could reach ‘virus free living’ worldwide. My wish is to have continuous funded research into vaccines and potential cures for chronic and fatal viruses, including HIV, TB, hepatitis and Ebola. I also wish for clean water supplies and non-contaminated food for all—wherever and forever.” –Donna Sabatino, Senior Community Liaison, JT Medical Affairs
“We’re in a new golden age of neuroscience—one that I believe will lead us to a future free of mental illness and other brain disorders. So my wish is to envision a time when people no longer experience stigma or feel shame because of having biologically-based brain disorders. I truly think we will get there.” –Husseini Manji, Global TA Head, Neuroscience
“My wish is to see a future where people are able to take control of their own health. More and more, we are harnessing the power of technology in the service of wellness by developing personalized solutions that will allow us to reach the right individuals at the right time, motivating and enabling all of us and the people we care about to make decisions that can help them get well and stay well.” –Sandi Peterson, Group Worldwide Chairman, Johnson & Johnson
“I wish for a future where my three children (ages 10, 8, and 7) will no longer fear such devastating diseases as cancer because we will have radically advanced our understanding of how we can prevent, intercept, and cure malignancies before they wreak havoc.” –Kate Sasser, Senior Scientific Director, Oncology Translational Research
“Diabetes is a preventable, manageable illness and it should not be a death sentence because of where you live or your economic status. So my wish is that we can continue to raise awareness and increase access to treatments for everyone to ‘Beat Diabetes’!” –Joaquin Duato, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals
“My wish would be that we can reach a moment where we will have a great collaboration between the public sector and the private sector in order to address all the enormous global public health challenges we have in front of us. The public sector cannot do it without the private sector, and the private sector cannot do it without the public sector. And what we need is to build robust public-private partnerships to help tackle these great diseases.” –Jaak Peeters, Head of Johnson & Johnson’s Global Public Health Organization
“My wish for World Health Day is for there to be a shift in focus away from just treating disease toward preventing disease and maintaining wellness for people around the world.” –Len Greer, VP, Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions
“I hope to see a day when all communities and individuals affected by HIV can access the prevention tools, treatment and care they need to be healthy. This can only be made possible if all of humanity joins forces and takes on the most pressing global health challenges of our time.” –Derek Fetzer, Engagement Platform Leader, Global Public Health
“My wish for World Health Day would be for all children living with Type 1 diabetes anywhere in the world to have access to insulin, testing supplies and education to know how to take care of their condition. A busted pancreas shouldn’t be a death sentence for anyone—it’s possible to manage diabetes, so my wish would be for everyone to have what they need to pursue an inspired life and achieve their highest potential.” –Sandy Struss, Global Marketing Manager, Animas Canada
