2^nd – 8^th April is being observed as World Health Worker Week across the globe with the main aim to raise the awareness among majority of people on various health workforce issues and thus recognize the lifesaving contributions and challenges of the health workers in their everyday life. The week serves as an opportunity to prepare communities, partners and various policy makers in the support of health workers around the world.

Health Workers are considered as the backbone of the effective health systems. They are the very first and are usually the only link to health care for millions of people. Hence the week ensures that the health workers have the proper training, supplies and the support they require to do their jobs effectively and safely.

Apart from providing immunizations and treatment for the common infections, health workers battle deadly diseases such as Ebola and HIV, while acting as a trusted source of information for the communities everywhere. They are also accountable for educating people about various preventive health measures, while proving special care to pregnant women, new born babies and the children who are under the age of five years. Their responsibility includes the treatment and diagnosis of various common infectious diseases and childhood illness such as diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, etc.

 Health worker plays a major role by acting as a bridge between the remote communities and the formal healthcare system, as the rural communities generally lack the access of formal healthcare facilities. This bridge allows the referral of serious cases to other health facilities with the ongoing supervision from formal health workers, and improved health reporting.

Health Workers in India:

In India nearly 8, 00,000 community health workers form the backbone of the country’s vast health care sector. They are the very first point of care especially in rural, remote and underserved areas. These health workers thus play an invaluable role in reducing preventable deaths among mothers, kids and infants not only in India but in other countries also.

Now let’s look at some Fast Facts:

• Low and lower middle income countries need to add 18 million health workers to their workforce in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030.
• Between 2000- 2011, one quarter of economic growth in the low and middle income countries resulted from health sectors.
• Those countries who mobilize health workers, experience a triple return on investment in the employment, economic growth and health systems.

“On this World Health Worker Week, let’s join together in recognizing health workers by encouraging greater appreciation and support towards them and telling the world that they shouldn’t be taken for granted.

You can post the pictures of health workers working in your community just by using #WHWWeek to mark their importance and contribution towards the society and make them feel priviledged.”

Metro College of Health Science and Research
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www.metrocollege.in
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