The World Health Organization on Oct. 21 urged leaders to take "immediate" and "concrete" action to protect healthcare workers against the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the estimated 115,000 who have died from the virus between January 2020 and May 2021.
"We are deeply concerned about the probable number of deaths, the overall low rate of vaccinations and the vaccines inequities among health and care workers in low- and middle-income countries," the statement read. "This undermines the physical, mental, and social well-being of those individuals we depend upon to manage the pandemic."
The agency made three urgent recommendations:
1. Strengthen data collection and reporting on infections, ill health and deaths among health and care workers caused by COVID-19.
2. Prioritize the protection of health and care workers during and beyond the pandemic through regulatory policy and investment decisions.
3. Accelerate the vaccination of health and care workers in all countries.