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"The backbone of every health system is its workforce--the people who deliver the services on which we all rely. COVID-19 is has demonstrated just how much we rely on our health workers, and how vulnerable we all are when they who protect our health are themselves unprotected," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

While responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and providing critical support in other health emergencies and humanitarian settings, WHO has also continued its broader efforts to strengthen health systems and support vulnerable communities globally--particularly in equipping and enhancing the capacities and protection of health workers who are at the very core of health operations globally.

Improving surveillance and treatment of infectious diseases

In South Sudan, WHO, with support from the European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), put in place an integrated disease surveillance and response strategy to prevent diseases and strengthen core capacity requirements. A training of trainer's (ToT) workshop was provided to 40 national trainers on the updated technical guidelines and training materials on disease surveillance. They are expected to cascade the modules in countries.

Likewise in Uganda, the Government of Hungary has supported WHO to provide a mobile, rapidly deployable container structure, fully-equipped to support health workers in the fast and effective clinical management of severe and critically ill patients with highly infectious diseases.

"Mobile units are a very practical solution to public health events that require the urgent deployment of resources. After the installation, experts will train local staff in the use of the mobile unit," said Zsolt Mészáros, the Hungarian Ambassador accredited to Uganda.

Health workers as drivers of vaccine uptake

The Pan-American Health Organization carried out a study among health workers to better understand vaccine hesitancy and develop evidence-based approaches to increase their vaccine uptake in Barbados, as well as across Caribbean countries. Health workers are a trusted information source and play a key role in improving vaccine uptake among their communities. The study also aims to address people's concerns regarding vaccine manufacture, the perceived "short time taken to develop the vaccines," and to dispel myths and rumours circulating on social media and in off-line conversations.

With EU support, WHO has also rolled out an 18-month programme Haiti to train and protect staff of primary care entres; strengthen the local health system amidst the emergence of new COVID-19 virus variants; and respond to the increased movement of people across borders that has exacerbated the disruption of essential health services. The partnership also adapts essential health services and staff capacities to local contexts and helps increase the availability of medical supplies and equipment.

Training to care for children with COVID-19

In Nepal, WHO supported the training of nearly 2 000 health workers, including 54 trainers on caring for children suffering from critical illnesses. These included clinical case scenarios in paediatric essential critical care; oxygen therapy provision and use of mechanical ventilators; transfer and stabilization; and care for cases of cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest and poisoning. In a different series of virtual sessions through OpenWHO, technical experts also provided training on the latest global treatment protocols to manage COVID-19 patients, especially children, to enable health workers to set a standard in the treatments used across all levels of the health system.

Strengthening the role of midwives and nurses

In Europe, WHO has launched the first-ever WHO knowledge-sharing platform for nurses and midwives, to ensure they have the right tools and training to meet the needs of their respective populations. The Government Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Hub platform facilitates the exchange of experiences and strategies across the region and globally. Thirty-two of the region's 53 Member States have already nominated a Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer or equivalent to the Hub, who will co-chair the network together with WHO.

Cox's Bazar training: a model in humanitarian settings

In the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, the most densely populated in the world, WHO is supporting the integration of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) services into primary health care. As of September, 283 workers from 64 primary care facilities have taken the WHO training to better respond to the increasing prevalence of NCDs in camps. They cover a network of 175 Government and partner-led health facilities that cater to over 884 000 Rohingya refugees, along with 472 000 Bangladeshi host population living in the adjacent area.

The growing burden of NCDs--such as cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, cancer -- has led to a shift of focus in emergency response. Apart from improving access to health services, preventing premature deaths and improving the well-being of refugee communities, the successful outcomes of this programme have contributed to the standardization of practices to be replicated in other humanitarian settings.

Helping community volunteers in the fight against malaria

Human malaria is the most common vector-borne disease in Yemen and over half of the population is at risk of infection. WHO supports the Government's response by strengthening the capacity of community volunteer workers. This includes the provision of rapid diagnostic tests, medicines and training needed to detect and treat malaria cases, and to educate communities about malaria prevention.

"I am passionate about what I do--going to hard-to-reach areas where there is little awareness about health, and limited access to health services. The trainings we receive do more than just build our professional skills and expertise; their benefits extend into the communities we visit--to those who need us most," says Zahra'a Mohammed, 25, who has been a community health volunteer in the Lahj Governorate since 2019.

With many other volunteers, they walk from house to house under a scorching sun, to provide malaria testing, treatment and prevention awareness to adults and children who would otherwise be unreached.

We want to honour and thank all health workers around the world. In designating 2021 as Year of the Health and Care Workers, WHO not only echoes the world's appreciation and respect to the frontline heroes of many health emergencies and humanitarian situations long before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also an urgent call--both to national authorities and to donor institutions--to continue investing in their health workers and ensure that they are supported and trained, equipped with the right tools and resources, paid equitably and protected from risks of infection and against any form of abuse and exploitation at all times.

Ultimately, health systems would break down without health workers. Their ability to deliver safe and quality care is not merely a profession they have chosen for themselves, but a life-long commitment to save lives and keep all of us safe from diseases.

Learn how WHO supports countries around the world in strengthening their health systems to deliver health for all through a primary health care approach.

Partners and donors recognized in this feature are the European Union (ECHO), Hungary, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

WHO thanks all governments, organizations and individuals contributing to the COVID-19 response around the world since the beginning of the outbreak, and in particular those who have provided fully flexible contributions, to ensure a comprehensive fight against the disease.

Member States and other governments in 2021:

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Comoros, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lesotho, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America.

Other partners in 2021:

*African Development Bank Group, African Reinsurance Corporation, Asian Development Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), China Medical Board, COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, European Commission (ECHO, NEAR, DG-INTPA, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Gavi-The Vaccine Alliance, International Development Association (IDA), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Islamic Development Bank, **King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), Kuwait Fund for Development, *National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), Rockefeller Foundation, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Task Force for Global Health (TFGH), United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA), Veolia Environment Foundation, Vital Strategies, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), World Bank.