‘Health workers an investment, not a cost’
The Global Youth Call for Action on Human Resources for Health has urged governments and stakeholders to position decent work in the health workforce policy making , saying decent work with fair wages is a human right.
A public health professional and lecturer in the Department of Health Systems and Policy at the College of Medicine, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, Isabel Kazanga delivered the call on behalf of young professionals at the closing plenary of the Global Forum on Human Resources for Health held recently in Dublin, Ireland.
“We [youths] are the backbone of the future and leaders of tomorrow. Through active participation, we are empowered to play a vital role in youth development and in our communities,” said Kazanga, in an interview.
She said the youths call for action developed and shared by young global health leaders at the forum emphasises that youth, being one of the largest global demographic groups, are an essential agent of positive change in the world and an asset for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The youth call for action acknowledges that with 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 living mostly in low- and middle-income countries, the world has more youths than ever before, creating unparalleled potential economic and social progress. This presents a window of opportunity, a demographic dividend, through the youth,” said Kazanga.
She said the call for action advocates that national policies should address the dynamics of the health labour market and acknowledge that scaling up the health workforce to achieve Universal Health Coverage will require a comprehensive plan of action that takes into account education, employment , migration, social and economic conditions, and the need for increased and sustainable investments in healthcare. n
