Every year, armed conflicts, natural disasters and disease outbreaks threaten the health of millions of people. They cause loss of life, disrupt families and communities, and create economic disruptions. They also worsen existing mental health issues and, in some cases, lead to new ones.
Keeping the world safe and protecting the vulnerable is at the core of WHO’s work on health emergencies, which includes preventing, detecting and responding to disease outbreaks, and developing global strategies for dealing with them. WHO works to ensure that everyone has access to essential medical care and information during a health crisis by consolidating scientific evidence across disciplines and sectors and translating it into comprehensive, scalable interventions.
A health crisis is a sudden change in your physical or mental health that can have a serious impact on how you function. It can affect any age, gender, or race, and it’s often difficult to identify.
Health crisis may occur due to an injury, accident, or unforeseen medical condition. It can also be caused by a chronic illness, such as heart disease or diabetes, which require long-term treatment and limit quality of life.
Health crises can also be the result of a sudden stressor, such as the loss of a loved one or a relationship. It can also be a result of a traumatic event or an ongoing mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression. People experiencing a mental health crisis can experience symptoms that include difficulty sleeping, feeling worthless or hopeless, withdrawal from friends and family, or having suicidal thoughts.