World Health Day goes plant‑centric
World Health Day programming is leaning plant‑forward: Newcastle University touts Veganuary’s ongoing impact and links plant diets to circadian and gut‑health research (from.ncl.ac.uk). In Davao City a plant‑based culinary workshop and pop‑up is pairing farmers, indigenous groups and faith communities, and the Philippines’ GCash Run wellness festival is planting a tree for every sign‑up while featuring plant‑based vendors ( ).
Newcastle University published a World Health Day blog on 31 March 2026 that grouped five research priorities under “working towards a healthier world,” and its accompanying comment piece noted public institutions account for roughly 5–6% of UK food sales—about £2.4 billion a year—as a lever for keeping plant-based options on the menu. (from.ncl.ac.uk ncl.ac.uk ) (from.ncl.ac.uk) Newcastle’s biosciences press release on 10 February 2026 described an international team recreating the simplest circadian clock in a test tube and linked that work explicitly to applications for human gut health, noting the study appeared in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology and quoted Dr Yulia Yuzenkova and Professor Susan Golden. (ncl.ac.uk ) (ncl.ac.uk) Veganuary reported an estimated 30 million people participated in its 2026 campaign, based on national surveys in 12 core countries, and the campaign this year expanded its footprint with workplace initiatives and new retail product launches across the UK. (veganuary.com ) (veganuary.com) In Davao City the “Utanon: V40 Culinary Workshop on Plant-based Heritage Food of Davao” ran on March 30 at the Green House Cinema, with a hands-on 1–5 p.m. workshop capped at 50 participants (reported full) and a 5–9 p.m. public pop-up featuring local dishes such as Ginataang Aposow and Suman Kasa, organized by OneVeg and Gulay Nai! with MASIPAG Mindanao and speakers including Dr. Macario Tiu and Chef Laorence Castillo. (mindanews.com ) (mindanews.com) GCash’s second GCash Run took place on March 22, 2026 along Ayala Avenue and, via its GForest partnership with Silliman University, committed 40,500 grey mangrove trees for planting linked to sign-ups and sponsor support. (rappler.com bworldonline.com ) (rappler.com) Organizers say GForest activity helped the broader program report 4.2 million trees planted since 2019 (reforesting roughly 19,000 hectares) and that last year’s inaugural run supported mangrove plantings in Negros—figures the event paired with a Green Hero Village, eco-marketplace, recycled-material singlets and even a pet run at this year’s festival. (philstar.com pinoyfitness.com ) (philstar.com)
