World Health Organization (WHO) data estimates that as many as 180,000 health care workers may have lost their lives worldwide between January last year and May this year due to Covid-19.

The calculation is based on an analysis of 3.45 million coronavirus deaths, but the WHO believes the total may be 60% lower than the actual number of victims. The director-general of the UN agency said in Geneva that "the backbone of any health system is its employees."

Tedros Ghebreyesus points out that Covid-19 is a "powerful demonstration of how we all depend on these men and women, and how vulnerable we all become when the people who work to protect our health end up going unprotected."  

The WHO points out that in addition to concerns about coronavirus deaths, an increasing proportion of doctors and nurses suffer from stress, anxiety, burnout and fatigue. Therefore, the request is for leaders and legislators to ensure equitable access to vaccines. 

Current WHO data indicate that on average two out of five health care workers are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, but there are, however, many differences between regions.  

In the case of Africa, for example, one in ten healthcare workers have received full doses of the vaccine, while in high-income countries, 80% of the healthcare workforce is immunized.  

Starting October 30, the G-20 leaders will be meeting in Rome and by then, according to the WHO, 500 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be produced. A number that the organization says is enough to vaccinate 40% of the population of every country in the world by the end of the year.  

It should be noted that the 20 largest economies in the world promised to donate 1.2 billion doses of vaccine for the Covax mechanism. According to the WHO, only 150 million units have been delivered. 

Source UN Newes