Washington, D.C. – CARE USA welcomes the introduction of the Global Frontline Health Worker Resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives today, International Nurses’ Day. The resolution, championed by Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA), comes at a time when investments in health systems – and especially in female health workers – are too low to meet the world’s health needs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
In response, CARE President and CEO Michelle Nunn said:
“Frontline health workers are the ones that take care of us when we’re sick, when we need a shot, when our children need help; they are the lynchpin of health systems. But too often their work is unrecognized and underappreciated.
CARE knows this reality is especially harmful for women, who are 70 percent of the health workforce, yet are frequently unpaid or underpaid for their work.
Thousands of health workers lost their lives and countless left their profession over the last few years. This important Congressional resolution moves us towards recognizing the indispensable contributions and tireless sacrifices of this workforce.
When frontline health workers—including community health workers—are fairly paid, trained, protected, and supported, health systems work better and can withstand shocks like pandemics. Most importantly, everyone’s health improves.”
The Resolution was championed by CARE USA and the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, and is endorsed by more than 40 organizations.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package ®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources, women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. This year, CARE and partners worked in 111 countries implementing 1,600 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects and initiatives that reached 174,000,000 people.
To learn more, visit www.care.org
Media Contact:
Anisa Husain, anisa.husain@care.org