Director General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, warned that investments in education, skills and decent jobs for health workers must be prioritised to meet the rapidly growing demand for health services and to avert a projected shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030, especially in low‑ and middle‑income countries. The WHO called on governments and leaders to protect and invest in the health and care workers who are at the forefront of responses to health and climate emergencies. Together with its 194 Member States and other partners, the organisation is urging a renewed drive for health equity in the face of unprecedented threats.
In a press statement issued on Monday, ahead of its 75th anniversary on 7 April 2023, the WHO reflected on its origins. Seventy‑five years ago, in the aftermath of the deadliest war in human history, the WHO Constitution came into force as a treaty that recognised health as a fundamental human right and as essential to peace and security. Over the past seven and a half decades, the global health body highlighted extraordinary progress: the eradication of smallpox, a 99 percent reduction in polio incidence, millions of lives saved through childhood immunisation, declines in maternal mortality and overall improvements in health and well‑being for millions more.
“The history of WHO demonstrates what is possible when nations come together for a common purpose,” said Dr. Ghebreyesus. “We have much to be proud of, but much work to do to realise our founding vision of the highest attainable standard of health for all people.” He noted persistent inequities in access to health services, major gaps in global defences against health emergencies, and threats from health‑harming products and the climate crisis, stressing that these challenges can only be met through global cooperation.
To address these challenges, the WHO is urging countries to take urgent action to protect, support and expand the health workforce as a strategic priority. It announced a global education programme on basic emergency care that will target 25 percent of nurses and midwives in 25 low‑ and middle‑income countries by the end of 2025. The “25 × 25 × 25” emergency‑care programme will equip nurses and midwives with the skills and competencies needed to save lives and reduce disabilities.
Looking ahead to the next 75 years and toward the turn of the next century, a renewed commitment to health equity will be key to tackling future health challenges. In the shadow of the COVID‑19 pandemic, the WHO’s roadmap to recovery calls for an urgent paradigm shift toward promoting health and well‑being, preventing disease by addressing its root causes, and creating conditions for health to thrive. The organisation urges countries to prioritise primary health care as the foundation of universal health coverage.
The WHO emphasized that the COVID‑19 pandemic has shown protecting health is fundamental to economies, societies, security and stability. “Learning from the worst pandemic in recent history, WHO stands ready to support countries as they negotiate a pandemic accord, revise the International Health Regulations and implement other financial, governance and operational initiatives to prepare the world for future pandemics,” the statement concluded.
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