FIP calls for health worker protection

CONCRETE ac on needs to be taken to ensure the safety of health professionals around the world, the Interna onal Pharmaceu cal Federa on (FIP) believes.

In a joint statement published by the World Health Organiza on (WHO), FIP CEO, Catherine Duggan, called for governments to strengthen the monitoring and repor ng of COVID‐19 infec ons, ill-health and deaths among health and care workers.

“It is impera ve that health and care workers must get adequate protec on to be able to do their jobs safely,” the WHO said.

“The world cannot recover from the COVID-19 pandemic without long‐term, sustainable investments in the people who provide care to us.

“These investments are not only necessary, they are also common sense: with dividends accruing to na onal gender, health, labour and socio-economic goals.

“Many health and care workers have died... recogni on and commemora on are not enough.

“It is our moral obliga on to protect and invest in health and care workers.”

Duggan noted that a WHO working paper es mated that between 80,000 and 180,000 health workers ‐ including pharmacists - had died as a result of the pandemic, as of May 2021, with addi onal data showing that two‐in‐five health and care workers globally had been fully vaccinated by Sep.

“The WHO working paper provides a stark number to s mulate greater ac on; we cannot afford to lose more health and care workers and our world will not recover from the pandemic without long‐term, sustainable investments in the health workforce,” she said.

WHO Health Workforce Department Director, Jim Campbell, added that steps needed to be taken to strengthen vaccina on rates amongst health professionals.

“We have a moral obliga on to protect all health and care workers, ensure their rights and provide them with decent work in a safe and enabling prac ce environment,” he said.

“This must include access to vaccines.

“Beyond vaccines, economic recovery and all new investments in emergency preparedness and response must priori se the educa on and employment of health and care workers, linking to the UN Secretary‐General’s Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protec on.”