At the 73rd World Health Assembly, held in November 2020, member countries of the World Health organisation (WHO) have designated 2021 the International Year of Health and Care Workers.
Following 2020, a year in which the WHO declared a pandemic following the outbreak of COVID-19, the importance of health and care workers has become more evident than ever.
WHO member countries have therefore earmarked 2021 to be a year in which action is taken to support and sustain health and care workers as they acquit their crucial role in ensuring global health and prosperity.
As a major priority for 2021, member countries have set a path to strengthen the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. This Code is designed to strengthen ethical principles and practices in healthcare across the world.
In their unanimous declaration, member states also signalled their commitment to supporting countries with the greatest vulnerabilities in their healthcare systems.
It is hoped that during 2021, countries will work together to make greater investments in health and care workers, as well as the systems that support their work, across areas such as health workforce preparedness, training and service delivery.
To read more about the announcement, visit https://www.who.int/news/item/11-11-2020-2021-designated-as-the-international-year-of-health-and-care-workers.