What is the significance of observing World Voice Day?

World Voice Day is observed annually on April 16 to honor the value of voice. Speaking with our voices is perhaps the most efficient way to communicate, as it allows us to express ourselves and raises awareness of the need to protect our voices. We shall discover more about this day in this post.

How did the day come to be?
Brazil observed World Voice Day as the Brazilian National Voice Day for the first time in 1999. Thanks to the efforts of doctors, voice instructors, and speech-language pathologists who were members of the Brazilian Society of Laryngology and Voice under the direction of Dr. Nedio Steffen, it was commemorated. The Brazilian National Voice Day was declared the International Voice Day after other countries, like Portugal and Argentina, started to do the same. The US formally started celebrating World Voice Day in 2002, the same year it was given its name.

For what reason is World Voice Day observed?
The purpose of World Voice Day is to raise awareness of the value of the human voice and the need to protect it. Additionally, the day encourages individuals to assess their vocal health and take action to preserve or enhance healthy vocal practices. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, speaking out is more crucial than ever in the workplace, in the classroom, and in social situations. However, yelling, smoking, and drinking often cause vocal damage. In the long term, this might result in more serious issues.

On Globe Voice Day, people all around the globe are made aware of the need to prevent voice issues, heal ill or deviant voices, correctly train creative voices, and do research on the use and function of voices. Indeed, a variety of disciplines, including speech-language pathology, medicine, physics, music, phonetics, psychology, biology, and the arts, employ voice creation. Around 600 activities were held on the day in 50 different countries in 2018. All of these events are listed on the website world-voice-day.org, along with further information.

What is this year’s theme?
The theme for World Voice Day 2024 is “Resonate, Educate, and Celebrate.”