The delivery of essential health services is fundamentally dependent on the ability of health workers to deliver such services. Many of us on HIFA have repeatedly drawn attention to the hugely challenging conditions for many health workers in low- and middle-income countries. Basic needs (information, equipment, medicines…) are not met, even at the best of times. Now, with the added pressures of COVID-19, the capacity of health workers is further eroded.
The WHO Guidance that underlies our discussion says: ‘The combination of increased workload and a reduced number of health workers is expected to severely strain the capacity to maintain essential services, and it will particularly impact women, who make up the majority of the health workforce…more