With the global health crisis becoming a major concern since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, women, children and adolescents, and the health and support workers who provide their care and support, face increasing challenges in this time of growing conflict. and facing deadly risks. Humanitarian crisis around the world coincides with World Immunization Week from April 24 to April 30, according to a commentary published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) this week.
the subject of World Immunization Week 2022Long Life for All – In the quest for a longer life, provides a timely reminder that delivering life-saving vaccines against dangerous childhood diseases is a global ambition, one not yet universally achieved, especially For those in conflict.
If an armed conflict occurs within 10 km from the child’s place of residence, the child is 47.2% less likely to receive any vaccinations. For example, after the killing of eight polio activists in February 2022, national polio vaccination campaigns were completely suspended in two provinces of Afghanistan – one of the few countries where polio still exists despite global efforts to achieve eradication. is also endemic, according to the news agency ANI report good.
RT. Honorable. Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair and former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Kersti Kaljulaid, Global Advocate to the UN Secretary General for Every Woman Every Child, former President of Estonia, is a multi-sectoral mission to ensure the continuity of services for women, children and invoke response. Adolescents in conflict and humane settings.
Additionally, they urge global leaders to commit to greater investments in safety and security measures for health relief workers who risk their lives trying to provide services, support and care to vulnerable women, children and adolescents in the most challenging of circumstances.
In periods of conflict and in challenging humanitarian settings, even the most basic health rights – from access to safe midwifery services to routine childhood vaccinations – can be denied to vulnerable women, children and adolescents they need. .
“The safety of health care and support workers in conflict areas must be respected and protected under all circumstances because a violation of health care worker rights is both a health and humanitarian crisis. Unfortunately, among the safety of health workers in conflict areas is One is the most important humanitarian issue, but it is being overlooked”, says Dr Naveen Thakar, President-elect, International Pediatric Association.
Health and support workers also put their safety and their lives at risk while trying to maintain service coverage, care and support for vulnerable women, children and adolescents in conflict situations. They can be casualties of conflict, either as accidental victims of attacks or as intentional targets of hostile forces. Violence against aid workers claimed 484 individual victims in 2020, of whom 117 died, making 2020 the worst year on record for the second consecutive year.
“Attacks on health systems and personnel in conflict zones result not only in profound acute and long-term effects on health systems, but also on health care workers, with many people suffering directly and disproportionately. There is an urgent need to address the issue, as it is critical to the achievement of both SDGs 3 and 16”, says Dr Jaideep Malhotra, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
(with inputs from agencies)