Covid-19: World Health Organisation marks Public Service Day

“This year, as the world battles the Covid-19 pandemic, we have all become acutely aware of the capacity and resilience of public servants, especially the millions of essential workers who keep systems and services functioning.”

Also read: Covid-19: Worldwide number nears 9-million

Happy #PublicServiceDay!

Today, we 🙏 all the people in public services who work in healthcare, social welfare, education, postal delivery, transport, law enforcement, sanitation & more 👩🏻‍🏫👨🏾‍⚖️👨🏻‍🚒👮🏽‍♀️👨🏼‍💻👩🏾‍🔬👩🏽‍⚕️.

They risk their lives for us during #COVID19.

ℹ️ https://t.co/2FXzrp9FBp pic.twitter.com/J8LM5T2PxQ

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 23, 2020

During his June 23 address, the World Health Organisation (WHO) director, general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said during recent months the world had witnessed an outpouring of gratitude for the service and sacrifice of health and social care workers.

“Public service workers are being celebrated in capitals, cities and towns across the world. It is right to applaud, acknowledge and celebrate. Covid-19 is not going away. To the contrary, the pandemic is growing. The number of cases and deaths continues to rise,” said Dr Tedros.

He said recently, leaders from all over the world came together to launch the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator to hasten the development, production and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

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“The true measure of success will not only be how fast we can develop safe and effective tools – it will be how equally we can distribute them.”

He said public service workers in health and social care who are at the frontline of this response are among those most in need of these tools.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has refocused our attention on the value of resilient health systems that can withstand adversity, the importance of solidarity and equity; protecting others while protecting ourselves and the importance of investing in the health workforce.

“Health workers have a right to ‘decent work’ as articulated in the UN-approved framework of the International Labour Organisation.
“In a time of Covid-19, they have the unquestionable right to health and safety in their workplace, including the personal protective equipment they need to do their jobs safely.”

He added that health workers experience mental health challenges from the stress of responding to the pandemic.

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“Many have contracted Covid-19 while in the service of others. Too many health workers have lost their lives. “We must also invest in capacity, in the education and training that is necessary to deal with the current emergency and to build the future health workforce that is fit for purpose with the competencies to deliver quality care and health for all.”

He announced that the organisation is working to establish the WHO Academy as a state-of-the-art learning platform to meet these needs.

Last month, the organisation launched a WHO Academy mobile phone application for health workers to guide them in the Covid-19 response.

Dr Tedros emphasised the need to accelerate additional recruitment, redeploy workers within and across sectors, and activate partnerships for public purpose with the private sector and civil society.

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