Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - “Working together for health” is the slogan of initiatives planned for World Health Day 7 April by the UN World Health Organisation WHO.
There are about 53 million health workers in the world who supply all kinds of healthcare, access to which is still very irregular due to uneven distribution of healthcare workers: 42.3% of the human resources are found in North America, 19.3% in Europe, while Africa has only 2.4%, although it registers 25% of the world’s diseases. WHO warns that in the next ten years Africa could lose 30% of its labour force, already seriously reduced. Zambia one of the world’s poorest countries has suffered four wars in the past decade. War crimes are a daily reality in this country (torture, destruction, abuse, killing of men, women and children) and health conditions of the people are disastrous: HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and meningitis are widespread; infant and maternal death rates continue to rise; less than one third of the population has access to clean water; life expectancy in 2003 was 41 years (compared to 49 in 1995); there is one doctor for every 18,000 people and a nurse for every 7,800.
The Day’s protagonists will be health-workers “in the field”: doctors and nurses and many other figures and persons involved in safeguarding health. The focus of debates will be the scarcity of medical personnel and the need to develop programmes of recruitment and formation particularly in developing countries. Who aims to help countries train, support and maintain its own health workers.
WHO decided to support this process with its Report on World Health 2006 which will be presented for the occasion. Moreover, on 7 April WHO and partner Agencies will announce a new alliance in favour of human resources to harmonise assistance and support at the international level and monitor and facilitate diffusion of initiatives in individual countries. (AP) (6/4/2006 Agenzia Fides; Righe:35 Parole:430)
