Health

PSI affiliate the New Zealand Public Service Association (NZPSA), along with other NZ unions representing nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, cleaners, administration staff and paramedics have united under the banner “Yes We Care”. They will tour the country in the lead up to their national election.

The first International Symposium on Community Health Workers (CHWs) commenced on 21 February at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Uganda. The 3-day symposium with the theme: Contribution of CHWs towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals brings together over 450 policy makers, academics, practitioners, and civil society organisations in the health sector, including PSI.

On February 17, joining the worldwide protests for the reinstatement of health workers Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams, President and General Secretary of NAHWAL, respectively, Maria Castaneda on behalf of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East delivered a letter to the Ambassador Jeremiah C. Suluneth.

On February 17, PSI Deputy General Secretary, David Boys, Health Officer, Baba Aye, and Trade Union Rights Officer, Camilo Rubiano, met with the Ambassador of Liberia to the UN organizations in Geneva, Mr. Paul Wolokollie Tate, to discuss the situation of Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams, President and General Secretary of NAHWAL, respectively.

The PSI Human Right to Health campaign was launched in Francophone Africa in the first week of February. This was with a 2-day seminar on PPPs and the Right to Health, organised on the eve of the French-Speaking Africa Sub-Regional Advisory Committee meeting at Lome, Togo.

On 30 January, the All Sindh Lady Health Workers and Employees Association, PSI and Workers Education and Research Organisation organised a public meeting in Karachi on "Socio Economic Impacts of Delayed Wages on LHWs and their families" and "Sexual Harassment of Lady Health Workers on the Job and Field" to share the findings of two studies to be published very soon.

PSI launched the reports of two research studies: Sexual harassment faced by Lady Health Workers at work and field, and Socio-economic impacts of delayed wages on Lady Health Workers in Pakistan on January 30.

A recent study in the UK confirms positive correlations between trained nurses staffing levels and patient outcomes. This is at a time when the National Health Service (NHS) faces the likelihood of cuts and closures under the guise of Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs).