Frontline Health Workers Must Be a Priority in Coronavirus Response

By Hannah Webster, Advocacy communications intern, IntraHealth InternationalFebruary 13, 2020As the latest number of confirmed cases in the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) updates multiple times a day, the world holds its breath, and health workers continue to fight the outbreak on the front lines. “If we can’t keep our doctors and nurses safe, how can they—and we—fight dangerous pathogens and keep us all alive?” said Dr. Leana S. Wen, a physician and health workforce equity advocate, in a piece published inUSA Today.The February 7death of 33-year-old Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor who provided an early warning on coronavirus, is a reminder of health workers’ sacrifices during an outbreak of such magnitude. “He didn’t want to become a hero but for those of us in 2020, he had reached the upper limit of what we can imagine a hero would do,” a citizen wrote on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, according to theNew York Times.Health workers face a dire risk of contracting the virus.On January 31, 2020, theWorld Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. As the death toll continues to rise, the heroic work of health workers in China and around the world must be recognized. And they must be provided with the training, support, and supplies they need.According to thelatest situation report published by the WHO on February 12, there have bee...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Infectious Diseases Policy & Advocacy Global Health Security Source Type: news