The organization said it was concerned about the large number of health workers who have died and also suffer from burnout, stress, anxiety and fatigue.

Between 80,000 and 180,000 men and women linked to the industry could have lost their lives to the pandemic in the period between January 2020 and May 2021, in the context of an average scenario of 115,500 deaths, a recent WHO document estimated.

In the joint text issued, the authors urge Member State governments and stakeholders to strengthen the monitoring and reporting of Covid-19 infections, illnesses and deaths among health and care professionals.

They also call for the inclusion of disaggregation by age, gender and occupation as a standard procedure to enable decision-makers and scientists to identify and implement mitigation measures to reduce the risk of infection and disease.

The statement also calls on international leaders and policy makers to do everything in their power to make legal, regulatory and investment decisions to ensure the protection of medical personnel.

We have a moral obligation to protect all health workers, guarantee their rights and provide them with decent work in a safe and supportive practice environment, reflected the director of WHO’s Department of Health Workforce, Jim Campbell.

WHO is currently leading efforts to develop a global pact for health professionals, based on existing legal instruments, conventions and resolutions.

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