The World Health Organization has called on countries to take urgent action to protect, support and expand the health workforce while Investing in education, skills and decent jobs for health to meet the growing demand for health globally.
The call was made in a message to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organization by its Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on April 3, 2023.
He said to avert a projected shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030, a global education programme on basic emergency care targeting 25% of nurses and midwives from 25 low- and middle-income countries by the end of 2025 as recently announced by WHO is key to drive the force of healthcare providers for universal coverage.
“This 25x25x25 emergency care programme will provide nurses and midwives with the skills and competencies to make a major difference in saving lives and reducing disabilities.
“Looking forward to the next 75 years and close to the turn of the next century, a renewed commitment to health equity will be the key to addressing future health challenges. In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO’s roadmap to recovery includes an urgent paradigm shift towards promoting health and well-being and preventing disease by addressing its root causes and creating the conditions for health to thrive. WHO is urging countries to provide health by prioritizing primary health care as the foundation of universal health coverage.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that protecting health is fundamental to our economies, societies, security and stability. “Learning from the worst pandemic in recent history, WHO stands ready to support the countries of the world as they negotiate a pandemic accord, the revision of the International Health Regulations and other financial, governance and operational initiatives to prepare the world for future pandemics.”
The Director-General further harped on the need for countries to imbibe science-driven data to counter misinformation and disinformation in the health sector.
“This has come at a time when science is under sustained attack every day. Countries must protect the public from misinformation and disinformation. The future of health depends on how well we power health through science, research, innovation, data, digital technologies, and partnerships.” He added that “We have much to be proud of, but much work to do to realize our founding vision of the highest attainable standard of health for all people. We continue to face vast inequities in access to health services, major gaps in the world’s defences against health emergencies, and threats from health-harming products and the climate crisis. We can only meet these global challenges with global cooperation.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) along with its 194 Member States and other partners is celebrating its 75th anniversary On 7 April 2023, arising from the impact of the deadliest and most destructive war in human history, thus bringing into force, a treaty between the nations of the world, who recognized that health was not only a fundamental human right but also fundamental to peace and security.
Consequently, this year’s celebration establishes the call for a renewed drive for health equity in face of unprecedented threats
