Reducing the risks of infectious diseases is the aim of this year’s World Health Day, and today ISU students can receive free information on how they can live a healthy life.

In conjunction with the World Health Day theme of “Emerging Infectious Diseases; Reduce the risk,” free health care packets and information will passed out to students today from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in front of Park’s Library. Members of the Student Health Advisory Committee and the ISU Health Education interns will pass out the brochures.

ISU Health Education interns JoDee Larsen and Michelle Carber helped to coordinate this event and released a statement discussing just what they hope can be accomplished by educating the public about infectious diseases.

According to the release, “Action against emerging infectious diseases depends on interaction, cooperation and coordination among public and private groups and individuals – including families, schools, public agencies, community organizations, health-care providers and elected officials.”

The statement states the activities planned around the country for World Health Day have been created “to raise the awareness of the resurgence of infectious diseases and outlining ways that we can act individually and with partners to prevent their spread and limit their impact.”

The ultimate goal of World Health Day is communication. Officials hope that by both informing and educating those within our own community “that they, in turn, can spread the word instead of disease.”