GENEVA (dpa-AFX) – On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a growing shortage of staff in the global health system. By 2030, an estimated ten million skilled workers would be missing worldwide, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday in Geneva. All countries should ensure better wages and working conditions in the medical sector as part of the reconstruction after the corona pandemic. “There is no health without health professionals and nurses,” Tedros said.
According to Tedros, even before the corona pandemic, many of these people had to work for too little wages and under unsafe conditions. He also complained that women make up nearly 70 percent of staff but less than a quarter of managers, and that they are often subjected to workplace violence. Added to this is the burden of Covid-19. Tedros spoke of an estimated burnout rate of 50 percent of the staff since the beginning of the pandemic.
The WHO is celebrating its 75th anniversary these days. The founding date is April 7, 1948, when the WHO constitution came into force. Since then, according to Tedros, life expectancy has increased drastically worldwide, while maternal and child mortality has fallen sharply in recent decades. Great successes have also been achieved in the fight against malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.
On the other hand, according to Tedros, there are dramatic growth rates in diabetes and obesity. He also pointed out that almost two billion people are in financial distress because they have to pay their medical costs out of their own pockets./al/DP/stw