NAN-H-23
Diseases
By Chinyere Bassey
Lagos, Sept. 23, 2016 (ANN) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Commission on Health and Economic Growth has called for global increase in the employment of health workers to protect outbreaks of communicable diseases.
The commission said in a statement in Lagos on Friday that ageing populations and increasing rates of non-communicable diseases were projected to generate demand for 40 million new health workers worldwide by 2030.
It said that without action there would be a shortfall, primarily in low- and lower-middle-income countries of 18 million health workers needed to achieve and sustain universal health coverage.
“The commission’s vision is for an expanded, transformed and sustainable health workforce to promote health, prevent disease, meet the needs of populations and drive inclusive economic growth.
“Countries have seen health workers as just another cost to be managed instead of an investment with a triple return for health, economic growth and global health security,’’ it said.
The commission said that there was the need to harness the power of cost-effective information and communication technologies to enhance health education, people-centred health services and health information systems.
It said that investing in skills and expanding health employment would also contribute to the economic empowerment of women and youth.
The commission called for immediate action by March 2018 to secure commitments and accountability for accelerated health workforce investments. (NAN)
CHIN/FF/PDE
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(Edited Fela Fashoro and Controlled by Peter Ejiofor)