His Excellency Shri Pranab Mukherjee; eminent leaders in health and dear doctors and health workers – our “healthcare warriors” – who are staking their lives in handling the present crises,
A very good morning.
It is a privilege to join you today to reflect on this crucial topic at this critical time.
I want to begin by thanking you for the leadership you have shown to ensure public health is at the fore of India’s quest to develop in a sustainable way.
India has in recent years made immense progress in public health, which has been driven by committed leaders at all levels and across sectors.
India’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic is incumbent on sustaining such high-level buy-in, which is reflected in your participation, and in the vigorous and ongoing work of the department of health and other related departments of the Government.
Over the past month the pandemic has accelerated globally, and in recent days the world reached a grim milestone: 10 million cases.
The situation in the Region reflects this global trajectory.
Since the Region reported its first case on 13 January in Thailand, it took almost three months to record a cumulative 10 000 cases.
But by late May the Region was reporting 10 000 cases daily, which by late June had increased to more than 20 000.
In India, more than 500 000 cases have now been reported, and more than 16 000 deaths. India is the world’s fourth most affected country for the number of cases.
But context matters, especially in a country of more than 1.3 billion people. For example, India’s confirmed death rate per million people is six times lower than the global average.
WHO will continue to support India, as all its Member States, to respond to every case, cluster and evidence of community transmission, and to maintain essential health services.
We will also support national and local authorities to retool and adapt cities and services to meet the many demands of our new COVID-19 normal.
This is especially important as public health and social interventions – including physical distancing – are relaxed or reapplied based on local epidemiological evidence.
To frame today’s discussion, I will focus on one critical aspect of leadership – vision – and how it applies to our pandemic response generally, and to supporting and strengthening the health workforce, which is of course the focus of this annual conclave.
In responding to the pandemic, the Region has three overriding priorities:
-
to control and suppress spread,
-
strengthen and maintain health services, and
-
empower individuals and communities to stay safe, healthy and well.
It is a vision designed to meet immediate and long-term needs, and which is equity- and gender-responsive and human rights-focused.
Importantly, it also reflects the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO’s “triple billion” targets, and is aligned with the Region’s Flagship Priorities, which since 2014 have guided WHO’s work in the Region.
Two of the Region’s Flagship Priorities are particularly relevant: achieving universal health coverage and scaling up emergency risk management. Underpinning both areas of work is health workforce strengthening.
The Region is now in the sixth year of its Decade for Health Workforce Strengthening. During this time, the availability of doctors, nurses and midwives has increased by 21%. Nine countries are now above the first WHO HRH threshold of 22.8 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10 000 population.
This progress has complemented efforts to scale up emergency risk management, which have addressed a range of critical needs.
Among other priorities, Member States have increased compliance with the International Health Regulations, enhanced surveillance capacity and reinforced rapid response teams. Key training has been provided to health personnel at all levels to better respond to acute public health events.
In 2019 the Region adopted the Delhi Declaration on Emergency Preparedness, which has directly informed the interventions laid out in national COVID-19 strategic preparedness and response plans.
I appreciate India’s leadership on both Flagship Priorities.
India’s Ayushman Bharat is arguably one of the world’s bold and ambitious plans to achieve universal health coverage. WHO will continue to provide its full support to the initiative, for which ongoing progress is essential.
India’s commitment to leading on emergency risk management is likewise appreciated. Since the very beginning of the outbreak, India has provided critical support to regional and global efforts and has promoted the solidarity required for all of humanity to triumph.
The pandemic once again highlights that health security and health for all really are two sides of the same coin, and I welcome India and the Region’s progress in both areas. We are better positioned than ever to deal with this crisis.
We must nevertheless continue to hone our response, for which focused leadership is required.
I take this opportunity to highlight four ways in which leaders across sectors and at all levels can support health workforce strengthening to effectively respond to the pandemic, and which reflect the Region’s guiding vision.
First, we must ensure health professionals have the protection they require to avoid infection and care for the sick.
Across the world, health workers have accounted for a significant proportion of COVID-19 cases, due in part to inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE).
To date, WHO has provided all countries in the Region PPE, and we continue to work with industry, governments and the Pandemic Supply Chain Network globally to support country needs.
I urge all Member States and partners in the Region to access and utilize WHO’s Central Supply Portal, which is a critical resource for countries and donors to procure the necessary supplies.
Second, we must protect the mental health and well-being of health workers.
To prevent burnout and minimize stress, administrators can balance working hours and rotate workers from higher-stress to lower-stress functions. Health workers should be provided actionable information on where and how to access mental health and psychosocial support services.
Within the wider community, all leaders can support health workers by recognizing and celebrating their remarkable efforts – precisely as India did during the different lock-down phases, and as we are gathered for today.
Third, health workers must be provided ongoing training, both to respond to the pandemic and to ensure essential health services continue to function.
In May, WHO launched its WHO Academy mobile app, which is available for all health workers to download. The app provides health workers mobile access to a wealth of COVID-19 knowledge resources, including up-to-the-minute guidance, tools, training, and virtual workshops that will help them care for COVID-19 patients and protect themselves.
Fourth, leaders at all levels and across sectors must do all they can to protect health workers from stigma and violence.
In recent months we have seen several worrying instances of violence directed at health workers, which cannot be condoned.
WHO continues to call on governments, employers and professional organizations across the Region to take a zero-tolerance approach to violence against health workers.
I take this opportunity to commend India for promulgating the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance in April, which recognizes the need to protect and care for those who protect and care for us.
As I have said from day one, we are in this for the long haul.
Before giving the floor, I urge all leaders to continue to support health workforce strengthening – yes, throughout the pandemic response, but also in the recovery phase and beyond.
By 2030 the Region will need at least 1.9 million more doctors, nurses and midwives, not only to achieve SDG 3, the health goal, but to also help achieve SDG 1, on poverty elimination, SDG 4, on education, SDG 5, on gender equality and SDG 8, on decent work and economic growth.
By continuing to invest in the health workforce we can demonstrate the leadership required to overcome today’s challenges and be ready for tomorrow’s.
I once again thank you for your excellent work and look forward to the coming discussion.
Thank you.