Health futures at EXPO 2000

30 World Health • Sl stYear, No. 2, March-April 1998 Event Health futures at EXPO 2000 In a new initiative, WHO is charting Health futures in a 10 OOO m1 exhibition which is expected to reach more than 40 million people worldwide. The exhibition will be part of EXPO 2000, the World Exhibition which is set to take place from l June to 31 October 2000 in the city of Hannover, Germany. Health futures will describe health in the early 21 st century in six areas: youth, older people, infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases, health-promoting environments, and technology for health. Four of these are ou~ined as priority action areas in chapter 6 of Agenda 21 - the United Nations programme of action for sustainable development which resulted from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Planning for a positive tomorrow The exhibition will portray health challenges in these six areas and tell visitors about realistic, practical, cost-effective and sustainable approaches that are available now or will be in the next few years to create a positive future. It will challenge visitors to play a more active role in protecting their own health. Health futures is a new form of outreach, combining approaches used in theatre, multimedia events and science centres to make the visit unforgettable. The .,.,Island of we/I-being" Visitors will be able to establish a personal health appraisal that they can use on a personalized Web page at home. On the "Island of well-being", visitors will explore activities that enhance physical, social and mental well-being by means of virtual reality. Virtual reality technology will also enable them to simulate the ageing of their faces and hands. A life-size model of a plane will simulate the travel from Japan to Sierra Leone in a few hours, yet symbolizing the gap of 40 years of life expectancy between the two countries. The Observatory Up on the Observatory, visitors will be invited to play a computer game which simulates an outbreak of an infectious disease. Their task will be to set up a WHO Task Force, mobilize human, material and financial resources worldwide, and maintain the communications flow between all partners involved. The Observatory, a giant tower, symbolizes the vision for the 21 st century which is one of a world on the alert and able to contain infectious diseases. One of the health themes illustrated at Expo 2000 - "the globol teenager" - will highlight the important contribution that young people con make to a heolthier world in the 2 l st century. Photo WHO/) & P Hubley If you can't be there ... The exhibition also opens up opportunities to bring the messages of Health futures to "virtual visitors" - people who will not be able to attend EXPO 2000 physically. We envisage the production of multimedia tools that include educational CD-ROMs, a virtual walk through Health futures on the Internet, and the development of on-line systems that will give individuals constant access to health information from anywhere in the world. Do you have something to say? If you have comments, ideas o r suggestions on any of the topics covered in thi s issue , please write to the Editor, World Health , World Heal th Organization , 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. Letters should be not more than 250 words in length. Letters wi ll not necessarily be acknowledged. The Editor reserves the right to edit materia l selected for publication.