World Health Worker Week: Amid a global pandemic, we must celebrate “Leaders on the Front Line”
During World Health Worker Week 2020 (5-11 April), the
African Development Bank joins the global community to celebrate and recognise
the contributions of health workers, including nurses and midwives, on the
frontlines of the ongoing international response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The week’s theme Leaders on the Front Line recognizes
that health workers often put themselves and their families at great risk as
they work to save and improve lives. The ongoing pandemic provides further
incentive to prioritize investments in health workers. Africa needs well
trained health workers that can respond effectively during pandemics and other
health crises.
“From nutrition to maternal care and sanitation to countless
other interventions, health workers are at the frontlines in the prevention of
– and defense against – health crises facing communities and governments across
the continent,” said Jennifer Blanke, the Bank’s Vice President for
Agriculture, Human and Social Development. “Our support to health workers is
even more crucial at this time as we fight to mitigate the impact of
coronavirus in Africa,” she added.
World Health Worker Week 2020 also underscores the need
to extend greater opportunities for leadership to frontline health
workers—particularly women, who make up over 70% of the global health
workforce.
Yesterday, on World Health Day, we recognized nurses and
midwives specifically among all health workers, for their vital role in
advancing national and global health targets relating to universal health
coverage, maternal and child health, and infectious and non-communicable
diseases. And yet in 2018, Africa had 1.06 nurses and midwives for every 1,000
people. Given the continent’s surging population, this is far short of what is
required to achieve universal health coverage as well as health-related
Sustainable Development Goals.
As COVID-19 continues to threaten lives, livelihoods and
health systems across Africa, the Bank has begun to deploy financial resources
to assist African countries in fighting the pandemic. Last week the Bank
approved a $2 million grant for the WHO Africa region to use in bolstering the
capacity of 41 African countries on infection prevention, testing and case
management.
The Bank will continue to leverage its financial resources and
its expertise to promote the development of healthcare workers across the
continent. And as the global community celebrates World Health Worker Week, the
Bank urges communities and governments across Africa to recognize the
extraordinary service and achievements of nurses and midwives in Africa and
across the globe. Investing in their education, training and employment must be
a development priority for all countries.
Link
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire