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*Over 3.5 million health workers urgently needed to end crisis of
“healthcare deserts” – say 250 organisations for the launch of coalition
campaigning activities on 20 July*
Last Friday, 15 July Tanzania Midwives Association (TAMA) joined the massive
action and started with distribution of the petition asking their colleagues
across Tanzania to take action and increase the existing commitment to the
education, recruitment and retention of midwives and health workers.
It is believed that this activity will gather more than 2,000 midwives in 6
regions throughout the country will sign the petition and consequently
become a part of the action towards ending so called “healthcare deserts”.
Over 250 organisations including Save the Children White Ribbon Alliance,
Merlin, Every Mother Counts and Save the Children, have come together to call
for urgent action for more health workers, to be better supported. For the
2 months prior to the UN General Assembly meetings in New York the
organisations will be building pressure on global leaders to deal with the
health worker shortfall and make new commitments for supporting health
workers.
– New research published today identifies over 40 million children living
in “healthcare deserts” not receiving even the most basic care
– Every year 48 million women give birth without someone with the proper
medical skills present
– New research highlights ‘healthcare deserts’ in 25 developing
countries, where up to one-third of all children do not receive any of the
six essential vaccinations for childhood killer diseases or basic treatment
for diarrhoea, one of the main causes of child mortality**
Christy Turlington Burns, global maternal health advocate and founder of
Every Mother Counts, has backed the call saying: “It is unimaginable to go
through birth and life without ever receiving the advice and support of a
health worker. We know that training just one health worker could help
deliver life-saving treatments and save many lives. No mother should die
giving life and no child is born to die. It’s time for world leaders to
close the health worker gap.”
The organizations are urging people to sign the petition and wear a sticking
plaster to show their support for the campaign. “Health workers count. By
wearing a plaster and signing the petition we can show world leaders just
how urgent it is that we ensure there are enough health workers. Without
them there are too many children dying from preventable causes.”” says
Rachel Pounds, Country Director of Save the Children in Tanzania.
The launch coincides with a new report published by Save the Children that
shows that 40 million children live in “healthcare deserts” without
receiving the most basic of healthcare services. New research by the charity
has uncovered ‘healthcare deserts’ in 25 developing countries around the
world, where up to one-third of all children do not receive any vaccinations
for childhood killer diseases, such as diphtheria, whooping cough and
tetanus, or even basic treatment for diarrhoea. In some instances areas are
too remote and unreached by healthcare services. In most cases the term
describes a situation where services are unfamiliar, unknown, unaffordable,
unavailable, or of such poor quality that people are not using them.
At present the world is suffering from a massive gap of more than 3.5
million health workers in low income countries, and an even more if
countries like India are included. This includes a pressing need for at
least 1 million community health workers and 350,000 midwives. Millions more
existing health workers lack the support, equipment and training they need.
If the health worker gap is not filled, then the world will not meet the
UN’s Millennium Development Goals on child and maternal mortality.
Over 250 organisations have come together to see world leaders make specific
commitments to more “health workers, better supported” at the forthcoming UN
General Assembly meetings in New York on September 20.
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