The world is suffering from a massive gap of more than 3.5 million health workers. Millions more existing health workers lack the support, equipment and training they need. On 26 May 2011 fifty organisations issued a statement, published in The Guardian, to initiate bringing together hundreds of organisations behind a call for more health workers, better supported.

Health workers are vital for progress on global health and development, and for ensuring the millennium development goals are met. Bold leadership is needed. World leaders each need to make new, substantial and specific commitments to expand the number of health workers and better support those workers who are already in place.

To motivate this kind of bold leadership will require a powerful coalition with strong public support. For this reason, a diverse range of organisations are issuing today this urgent call for more health workers, better supported. We share a vision where there is a health worker within reach of everyone, in every community. Together we are determined to help inspire action on health workers that will save millions of lives, with a breakthrough at the UN general assembly meetings in September.

If your organisation has not yet signed up, please do.

Source: Working together for more healthworkers, better supported