Together with 143 civil society organisations, we call on the major funders in global health to prioritise international funding that supports recruitment of health workers in resource limited contexts. In a letter, we ask the funders to commit and contribute to pooled and adequate funding for long-term investments in the health workforce. This would address shortages for the short term COVID-19 response, but also build strong future health system resilience and health workforce preparedness and response capability. And it will guarantee readiness for public health threats, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health for all as a human right.
Most funders have already made additional resources available to governments of low and lower- middle-income countries. However, these support packages do not specifically prioritise the urgent need to recruit additional health personnel alongside priorities for research, vaccine development, protective personal equipment, test kits and programme management response support. Countries where severe shortages of health personnel have been insufficiently addressed in normal circumstances, will not be able to cope with the high pressure that comes with COVID-19. Sustainable investment in health worker recruitment and retention is critical.
Wemos’ Global Health Advocate Myria Koutsoumpa: “Africa has a share of 24% of the global burden of disease, yet, only 3% of the global health workforce. For comparison, a high-income country like the Netherlands has approximately 8.6 health workers per 1,000 people, whereas Uganda has only 0.74 and Malawi 0.35, staying far below the 4.45 threshold established by the WHO.
We urgently need collaborative action and pooled resources to ensure that the fragile and severely limited health systems are not stretched and weakened further. A lack of sufficient health workers is a major gap in the implementation of key programmes like HIV/AIDS, TB, sexual and reproductive health, malaria, malnutrition, maternal and child health. Diverting the already limited employed health workers could stall – or even reverse – the gains that those programmes have achieved over the years.”
The organisations want the global health funders to align policies and funding and address the gaps in human resources for health. They have formulated specific asks for each institution, ranging from the elimination of restrictions on use of funds, so they can be used for recruitment of health workers, to the cancellation of debt payments.
The letter was sent to GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), the Global Financing Facility (GFF), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO) with a copy to the European Commission’s Director General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO).
Read the letter to the global health funders
Signatories to the letters:
- Abubuwa Societal Development Initiatives (ASDI)
- Accountability International
- Action against hunger (regional office of West and central Africa)
- Action for Improvement of Food Child and Mother
- Advocacy Network Africa ( AdNetA)
- Afara 360
- Afrihealth Optonet Association
- Al-Asar Development Organization
- Amref Health Africa
- ARPAN
- Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+)
- Association for Promotion Sustainable Development
- Associations des jeunes pour la lutte contre le sida et la Pauvreté
- AWTAD anti-corruption organization
- Basic Integrated Rural Development Society (BIRDS)
- Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation (BMF)
- Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD)
- Centre for Health Science and Law
- Child Awareness Project
- Children and Young People Living for Peace
- Christian Action for Development & Support (CADS)
- CISE Malawi
- Coalition of African National Medical Associations (CANMA)
- Collective for Food Security and Rural Development (COSADER)
- Community Active in Development Association-CADA
- Community Care Foundation-Uganda (CCFU)
- Community Initiative Action Group Kenya(CIAG-K)
- CONNECTED ADVOCACY For EMPOWERMENT AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
- Cordaid
- Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW)
- Divine Foundation Trust
- Dr Uzo Adirieje Foundation
- Dreams Alive Africa
- Emonyo Yefwe International
- Eurodad
- FIRD
- Friends Foundation
- Fundacion Octaedro
- GHP Corp
- Global Association of Clinical Officers and Physician Associates (GACOPA)
- Global Health Advocates France
- Golden Change For Concerned Youth Forum
- Gorakh Foundation
- Health Action International
- Health Alliance International
- Health And Nutrition Development Society – (HANDS)
- Health Worker for All Coalition
- Health, Education and Literacy Progrmme (HELP)
- Hivos
- HOYWIK
- Human Rights Research Documentation Centre (HURIC)
- Indigenous Peoples Global Forum for Sustainable Development (IPGFforSD)
- Innovations for Development
- Instituto para el Desarrollo Humano
- IntraHealth International
- Kamukunji Paralegal Trust (KAPLET)
- Kenya Dental Association
- Kenya Health Professionals Society
- Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN)
- Kenya Medical Association (KMA)
- Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU)
- Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO)
- KENYA NATIONAL UNION OF NURSES (KNUN)
- Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO)
- KNCV-Tuberculosis Foundation
- Life Foundation
- Living Goods
- Maitrey-Raj Foundation
- Media Response
- MEDIBETH GLOBAL HEALTH CENTRE
- Medical IMPACT
- Medicus Mundi International
- Medicus Mundi Spain
- Medicus Mundi Switzerland
- MeTA Zambia
- MUMBO INTERNATIONAL
- Nari Development (NDO)
- National Disability & Development Forum (NDF)
- National Nurses Association of Kenya
- Nebbi Sistrict NGO Forum
- New Life Organization
- Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers Association (NIWAAFA)
- N’weti
- ODI Niger
- Organization of African Youth
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Initiative (OLPHI)
- Oxfam
- Participatory Village Development Program (PVDP)
- Pathways Policy Institute
- Peace Foundation Pakistan
- Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya
- PHM Kenya
- PHM North America
- PHM Uganda
- plan:g – partnership for global health
- Pleaders of children and Elderly People at risk (PEPA)
- Policies for Equitable Access to Health – PEAH
- Rainbow Mirrors Uganda
- Reproductive Advocate Health Education
- Rick Rowden (on personal title), Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, School of International Service, American university in Washington DC.
- Roke Telkom Uganda
- Rural Infrastructure and Human Resource Development Organization (RIHRDO)
- Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy
- Ryculture Health and Social Innovation
- S.O.S.- CRIANÇA E DESENVOLVIMENTO INTEGRAL DE ANGOLA
- Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP)
- Salud por Derecho
- Save the Children
- Sewa Development Trust Sindh
- Shanduko Yeupenyu Child Care
- Shape
- Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN)
- Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC)
- Solidarity Hospital Buea
- Soren Ambrose (on personal title)
- SOS Jeunesse et Défis
- Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI)
- Stretchers Youth Organization
- Success Capital Organisation
- Sukaar Welfare Organization
- TAMSA Tanzania
- The Bretton Woods Project
- The international Organization for Human Rights Development and Environment Sierra Leone Chapter
- The Observatory for Sustainable Infrastructure
- The People’s Fund for Global Health and Development
- The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Tanzania
- TINADA Youth Organization (TiYO)
- Training for Health Equity Network:THEnet
- Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET)
- Ukana West 2 Community Based Health Initiative (CBHI)
- Union des Amis Socio Culturels d’Action en Developpement (UNASCAD)
- VIKASH-SAMUKHYA
- Volunteers Welfare for Community Based Care of Zambia (VOWAZA)
- WASH-Net Sierra Leone
- West African Academy of Public Health
- White Ribbon Alliance-Uganda
- Women Deliver
- World Merit Burundi
- YOUTH AND ENVIRONMENT VISION (YEV).
- Youth Engage
- YOUTH INITIATIVE FOR THE PROMOTION OF GOOD LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA
- Youth Organization
- Youth Secretariat of Haiti
- Zero Poor Africa (ZPA)
Photo credit: Anh Nguyễn Duy (via Pixabay)
