IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 342 

Recognizing the essential contributions of frontline health workers to strengthening the United States national security and economic prosperity, sustaining and expanding progress on global health, and saving the lives 

of millions of women, men, and children around the world. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 18, 2017 

Mrs. LOWEY (for herself and Mr. DIAZ-BALART) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the essential contributions of frontline health 

workers to strengthening the United States national security and economic prosperity, sustaining and expanding 

progress on global health, and saving the lives of millions 

of women, men, and children around the world. 

Whereas the number of people affected by humanitarian crises nearly doubled from 2004 to 2014 due to an increase 

in the number of natural disasters, public health emergencies, and armed conflicts around the world; 

Whereas frontline health workers are a critical and cost-effective component to building country capacity to prevent 

and respond to humanitarian crises; 

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Whereas nations with healthy populations are more likely to 

be productive, prosperous, and peaceful, while countries 

with poorer health are more prone to instability, conflict, 

and extremism; 

Whereas the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level 

Commission on Health Employment and Economic 

Growth found that health employment is a force-multiplier for inclusive economic growth, and health investments provide a nine-fold economic return; 

Whereas frontline health workers are particularly crucial during natural or complex emergency situations to saving 

lives and aiding communities to recover, rebuild, and become more resilient; 

Whereas health workers provide lifesaving care at great personal risk in conflict settings; and hundreds of documented deliberate attacks on medical facilities, health 

workers, and patients occurred in at least 23 countries 

undergoing conflict and civil unrest, including Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, and others in 2016, impeding access 

to health care for millions while exacerbating the refugee 

crisis; 

Whereas United States leadership and investment has led to 

dramatic successes in global health and corresponding 

improvements in productivity and economic growth, including the reduction of child mortality by 53 percent 

and of maternal mortality by 44 percent from 1990 to 

2015, and the reduction of new HIV infections by 35 

percent and the decrease in malaria mortality by 60 percent from 2000 to 2015; 

Whereas access to a well-trained, well-equipped, and well-supported frontline health workforce is critical to the efficacy 

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and sustainability of United States global health programs, including efforts to achieve the global goals of 

ending preventable child and maternal deaths, fostering 

an AIDS-free generation, and ensuring global health security; 

Whereas frontline health workers are the first, and often 

only, link to health care for millions of people living in 

low- and middle-income countries and provide services 

where they are most needed, especially in remote and 

rural areas; 

Whereas frontline health workers include a range of occupations such as community health workers, midwives, 

nurses, pharmacists, doctors, and surgeons; 

Whereas partnerships with faith-based organizations, humanitarian nongovernmental organizations, and the private 

sector in training, equipping, and deploying frontline 

health workers in decent work help countries achieve 

progress toward their global health goals; 

Whereas the World Health Organization reports that the 

world will face a shortfall of 18 million health workers by 

2030 without immediate and concerted action, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, many of which 

are in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, regions that have 

the greatest share of the global disease burden and the 

highest number of preventable deaths, and from which 

many emerging and re-emerging global health threats 

originate; 

Whereas despite the key role of frontline health workers in 

improving health, advancing peace and security, and 

spurring economic growth, the World Bank and the 

World Health Organization estimate that over 

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400,000,000 people worldwide lack access to essential 

health services; 

Whereas the Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth found that employment of women within 

the health workforce is critical to saving lives, spurring 

inclusive economic growth, and promoting women’s empowerment, as women comprise an estimated 70 percent 

of employment in the health and social sectors, compared 

with 40 percent across all sectors; 

Whereas every day, more than 16,000 children die worldwide, 

mostly from preventable causes, and 830 women die due 

to pregnancy and childbirth complications; 

Whereas every year, millions of adults succumb to the ravages of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other treatable 

and often preventable chronic conditions; and 

Whereas the United States does not currently have a comprehensive global health workforce strategy despite the 

importance of frontline health workers to the successful 

implementation of United States global health programs 

and to improved health and socioeconomic outcomes for 

those served by these programs: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reaffirms the critical role of frontline health 

3 workers in achieving core global health goals, includ4 ing ending preventable child and maternal deaths, 

5 ensuring global health security, and achieving an 

6 AIDS-free generation; 

7 (2) commends the progress made by the United 

8 States in helping to build local capacity and to save 

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1 lives in the world’s most vulnerable communities by 

2 training and supporting frontline health workers; 

3 (3) acknowledges that in the aftermath of nat4 ural disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflict, front5 line health workers continue to perform critical serv6 ices under difficult working conditions, often at 

7 great personal risk, to save the lives of those without 

8 access to medicines, equipment, or running water in 

9 many cases; 

10 (4) urges greater global attention and support 

11 for local frontline health workers to ensure their pro12 tection and ability to respond effectively during hu13 manitarian and public health crises and to safeguard 

14 the health of the world’s most vulnerable popu15 lations, including populations in conflict-affected 

16 states; and 

17 (5) calls on all relevant Federal agencies, in18 cluding the United States Agency for International 

19 Development, the Department of State, and the De20 partment of Health and Human Services, including 

21 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to 

22 develop a coordinated, comprehensive, inter-sectoral, 

23 and data-driven health workforce strengthening ac24 tion plan with concrete targets for increasing equi25 table access to qualified health workers in low- and 

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1 middle-income countries, particularly in underserved 

2 areas, to support the Global Strategy on Human Re3 sources for Health: Workforce 2030 and rec4 ommendations of the High-Level Commission on 

5 Health Employment and Economic Growth, includ6 ing clear accountability mechanisms for monitoring 

7 progress, including progress on the protection of 

8 health in conflict in accordance with United Nations 

9 Security Council Resolution 2286. 

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