World Health Day: Health Workers In Times Of Coronavirus

Every year on April 7th, World Health Day is celebrated. This has been the case since 1948, when the day was established based on the date of creation of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a traditional way, every April 7, health organizations organize events and activities that promote healthy habits among their target populations. In the same way, the occasion is used to recognize the actions of health personnel.

This year is World Health Day in the midst of a very particular global context. The coronavirus pandemic has all health professionals focused on the first line of care, and state health offices in the race to contain the spread of the virus.

Certainly, the spread of COVID-19 has shown that the idea of ​​global health is now more patent than ever. Globalization, communication and transportation have highlighted that a distant population with a pathology is not that distant in reality.

And it has also brought the opportunity to reflect on the role of health personnel, to ask ourselves how important health teams are to the world. Are they properly recognized?

The protection of toilets

The coronavirus pandemic is the relevant news in all the media, and other questions arise from there. One of them, repetitive in several countries, was the shortage of protective equipment.

Medical associations, professional groups and the media raised their voices for the lack of equipment for health professionals who care for patients with possible SARS-CoV-2 infection. Even basic shortcomings such as gloves have been mentioned.

On this World Health Day, it is worth emphasizing the management function that policies must exercise to ensure their protection for health workers. Masks, gloves, goggles and gowns seem like basic materials, but they are not always present.

The untimelyness of the coronavirus led to the creation of care protocols that require equipment that is not in sufficient quantities. Thus, the risk associated with the health profession appears, and the fear that this causes in professionals and their families.

Companies from other industries and even private individuals embarked on the production of masks, gowns and glasses. Some initiatives were driven by the sole desire to help, without expecting anything in return.

The spirit of World Health Day is channeled into that solidarity. We are all in a shared health problem that will be solved if we all get involved.

Health personnel are essential

The speed of spread of the coronavirus made health teams more visible. In many countries there is a massive applause from patios and balconies at a specific time to recognize the work of health professionals.

This recognition puts those who day by day put their lives aside to save other lives at the forefront of prominence. The pandemic makes it more striking, but it would be important for the sentiment to be perpetuated.

World Health Day advocates for a healthy world, and for this it requires people to work towards that goal. Prevention measures and changes in habits prevent diseases, however, there are situations that require daily hospitalizations and interventions.

The strength of an organized and responsive health system will save lives. Within this system, the key piece is human beings, trained and trained for excellence in their activity.

What to do on World Health Day?

The World Health Organization proposes three lines of action for World Health Day, which could be adapted to our times of confinement. Precisely, this year’s call to action was aimed at health personnel.

The three axes are:

• That people recognize the health work: as we said, spontaneous applause is a great initiative to let health personnel know that we are with them.
• Public policies that educate and protect health workers : States must grant all possible tools to health teams, from updates in their field to a minimum resource such as a suitable mask to care for patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 .
• Union of the same health personnel: there is no room for disputes in health teams while the pandemic is happening. The united efforts will result in robust health systems to cope with such a situation.

World Health Day in times of coronavirus

It is, perhaps, the most particular World Health Day that the planet has experienced. Thus, such a peculiar situation requires ingenuity so that it does not go unnoticed. Health teams need recognition for their work ; We must be creative to give it to them and get it to them.