We were invited from the ibp Global Groups at The White House, Washington to join this webinar.
- Launch of the Global Health Worker Initiative. "Transforming health systems for resilience: access, workforce and digital".
FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Administration Global Health Worker Initiative | The White House
< https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/11/... >
The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 requests mandatory and discretionary funding totaling over $17 billion for the Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and over $11 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services to advance U.S. leadership in global health, including health system strengthening; HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis; maternal and child health; family planning and reproductive health; nutrition; global health security, and pandemic and other biological threat preparedness, and neglected tropical diseases.
*“This pandemic has spotlighted the critical role and bravery of health and care workers. That’s why I’ve asked my Administration to develop a global health workforce plan, to accelerate our contributions to the Sustainable Development Agenda and investments in health and care workers. President Joseph R. Biden, April 7, 2022”*
The event focused on coordinating and aligning the international community’s efforts against the initiative’s four pillars:
· expanding the global health workforce and accelerating economic development,
· protecting health workers,
· advancing equity and inclusion,
· and driving technological advancements and digital innovation.
I missed the first two pillars and have recorded what I heard about the third and fourth pillars
*For equity and exclusion*
It was reported that workers were more likely to respond to workers of their own race and workers of all races should be at all levels of administration. The webinar felt that the world’s health was only as good as “the last mile” - its weakest link and that the health of the poorest should be the same as that of the richest, focusing on the most vulnerable � women, colour, disabled and impaired.
Women needed safe and decent jobs, to avoid unpaid work, to have harassment prevented and to be involved in leadership at all levels. All health issues should be discussed with women at the top table.
There should be secure enough resources for health workers and all workers from the bottom to the top should have access to regular training. This may increasingly be supported by the WHO Academy of Learning in Lyon, France. An example of digital training used by 5000 LIC workers was given.
Technical advancement, telehealth and digital improvement are necessary and have accelerated around the world during covid19. as the collection, analysis and production of evidence for policy from data. Going forward
these technologies across the world will help geographically and in areas of low socio-demographic profiles. Digital solutions can enhance synchronous communications, provide teaching, and collect data automatically without the need for paper duplication in the form of reports.
A list of technological aims was discussed to support the SDGs:
- Supporting e-learning and supporting clinical enquiries
- Allowing more professional equity
- Facilitating cash transfers on time and with less corruption and ghost employees.
- To reduce the number of apps that are expected to be used by health service workers when making reports (14 in one case)
- Mutual decision support tools
- Immunization longitudinal records
- Access for and dialogue with patients
- Open Source and free across verticals to accelerate care
The executive director of the Global Health Fund reported that the global fund partnered with UNAIDS. There is much more to be done with digital tools - planning, paying and performance review. Hundreds of thousands or millions
of workers are not recognized, paid or equipped. Digital technology can deliver knowledge and skills to workers.
The director expected the digital advances achieved during covid to be continued with specific investments in specific systems. To achieve “bangs for bucks” the fund wishes to increase the number of staff, improve inclusion and improve equity, through protection, expansion and digital inclusion.
HIFA profile: Richard Fitton is a retired family doctor - GP. Professional interests: Health literacy, patient partnership of trust and implementation of healthcare with professionals, family and public involvement in the prevention of modern lifestyle diseases, patients using access to professional records to overcome confidentiality barriers to care, patients as part of the policing of the use of their patient data
Email address: richardpeterfitton7 AT gmail.com
