Faced with this situation, the WHO published a statement calling for actions in all countries to protect healthcare workers, asking governments to take care of and safeguard their lives.
WHO´s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recalled that healthcare workers ‘should be a top priority when receiving anti-Covid-19 shots’ since only two out of five healthcare workers in the world have been fully vaccinated.
Ghebreyesus pointed out that this situation is worsening due to the difference among regions: in Africa the complete pattern of healthcare workers vaccinated does not reach one in ten, while in Europe it exceeds over 80%.
‘We urge they must improve the monitoring and tracking of cases among healthcare workers. We ask governments to guarantee protection for health care staff and to be backed by good working conditions,’ said Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Concerning this matter, the President of the International Council of Nurses Annette Kennedy stated that governments are bound to take care for and safeguard healthcare workers´ lives.
‘They are the most valuable resource. The world without them is not prepared for the pandemic,’ she said.
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