World Humanitarian Day was celebrated on August 19th, and WHO lauded the contributions of healthcare workers for their humanitarian actions, and urged that attention should be paid to their well-being and safety.
You can read the full statement at this link: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2015/world-humanitarian-day/en/
Statement by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan
On this 12th World Humanitarian Day, 19 August, WHO is drawing the world’s attention to the contributions and sacrifices of health workers who respond to humanitarian crises.
More than a decade since the first World Humanitarian Day, the demands on emergency responders are unprecedented, with 82.5 million people in 37 countries needing humanitarian assistance. The costs, too, are unprecedented, reaching an estimated US$20 billion.
WHO is leading the health response to 5 major humanitarian crises, where more than 60 million people, from West Africa to Yemen, urgently require a wide range of health-care services.
At the heart of humanitarian action are the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health workers who selflessly serve their communities, often with little access to resources and frequently at great personal risk. Frontline health workers have provided health care to millions of people under the demanding conditions of outbreaks like Ebola, natural disasters, and armed conflict. In West Africa, 875 health workers were infected with Ebola and more than half of them died.
As part of our global strategy on human resources for health, WHO is prioritizing the well-being, safety and sanctity of health care workers, and takes a strong position on their protection.
