Geneva, 22 October 2021 (TDI): The World Health Organization, and partners issued a call. This call is to stress the need for concrete actions to protect health workers, from Covid-19.
Several organizations shared their concern for the large number of casualties between the health workers. It is also worrying that the health workers are suffering from stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
The note also urged the political leaders, to make regulatory, policy, and investment decisions. This is to ensure their protection. Then it highlights the opportunity to align it with a global health and care worker; with the International Labor Organization’s call.
ILO’s call is to make a human-centered recovery from Covid-19. Finally, they called the leaders to prioritize the vaccination of health workers. That would be done through the equitable access to vaccines. 2 in 5 health workers were fully vaccinated, according to available data, by September.
But in the African and Western Pacific Regions, less than 1 in 10 have full vaccination. The note mentions that some high-income countries have not reported data. The Director of the WHO Workforce Department, Jim Campbell made a statement. The Director stated that the world have a moral obligation to protect health workers.
Then he mentioned that the countries also have the obligation to provide them with a decent work in a safe environment. Campbell also added that beyond vaccines, economic recovery, and new in emergency preparedness, States need to make a response. But they should also prioritize the education, and employment of health services.
STATISTICS OF WHO
A Working paper of WHO states that between 80,000 and 180,000 health workers could have died from Covid-19. That projection is from January 2020 to May 2021. WHO estimate 3.45 million deaths related to Covid-19.
Chief Executive Officer of the International Pharmaceutical Federation, Catherine Dugganthe stated then that the working paper provides a number to stimulate action. Alongside a member of the World Health Professions Alliance, Dugganthe added that we cannot afford to lose more health workers.
CARE WORKER COMPACT
The Organization leads efforts to develop care worker compact. This compact has the objective is for Member States, stakeholders, and institutions. The care worker compact wants to provide them guidance on their obligations, and also to protect health workers.
It also wants for them to safeguard their rights, and to promote a decent work, free of gender, racial, and also other forms of discrimination. According to the note, this guidance will be presented in the 75th World Health Assembly in May 2022.
