The double commemoration of World Health Day and Health Workers Day takes place this year under the theme "my health, my right". In Seychelles we are extremely familiar with the slogan, "my health, my responsibility". Right to health and health care and responsibility in the context of health and health care go hand in hand. They are two sides of the same coin.

Whether we are a health worker or a patient, our responsibility must be, first and foremost, to not take the right to health and health care for granted.

Let us safeguard and cherish our right to health and health care by, above all, valuing our own health and well-being and doing our utmost to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Health professionals must never take health service users for granted. We need to be first to demonstrate respect and show empathy and compassion. No patient or their relatives should endure unnecessary suffering from our mistakes, negligence or incompetence.