World Health Worker Week highlights the importance of the health workforce – nurses, pharmacists, epidemiologists, doctors, community health workers/volunteers, technicians, and their colleagues – the heart of global health.
Led by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, World Health Worker Week calls for increased investment in all cadres of the health workforce and advocates for prioritizing human resources for health on the global agenda. It is an opportunity to highlight the crucial role that sustained leadership and long-term investments in the health workforce play in achieving resilient health systems and advancing development goals.
Health workers save lifes and foster healthier communities by managing illness, preventing the spread of disease, providing education, among other things. In doing so, health workers also help drive economies – protecting the health of employees, reducing absenteeism and otherwise helping people thrive. Let’s make sure all cadres of health workers are compensated, protected, retained and succeed so that they can continue to help people live healthier, more productive lives.
Strengthen the health workforce.
By 2030, there will be a shortage of 11 million health workers, predicted by WHO. Increased investment in the health workforce is not only necessary; it is a wise and worthwhile strategy to strengthen global health and achieve development targets. Well-trained, protected, and fairly compensated health workers lie at the core of health care.
Read the full story on the Tropical Medicine and Global Health website.