IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 389 

Acknowledging the essential contributions of frontline health workers to recovering progress and further expanding and sustaining gains in global 

health, saving the lives of millions of women, men, and children around 

the world, and strengthening the United States national security and 

global economic prosperity. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 11, 2023 

Mr. BERA (for himself and Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Acknowledging the essential contributions of frontline health 

workers to recovering progress and further expanding 

and sustaining gains in global health, saving the lives 

of millions of women, men, and children around the 

world, and strengthening the United States national security and global economic prosperity. 

Whereas frontline health workers are a critical and cost-effective component to building country resilience and the capacity to save lives, foster inclusive economic growth, develop a strong primary health care system that delivers 

essential life-saving services, and prevent and respond to 

humanitarian crises and global health security threats 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HRES 389 IH 

from infectious diseases, including COVID–19, Ebola, 

and HIV/AIDS; 

Whereas the estimated 235,000,000 people in 2021 affected 

by humanitarian crises, including public health emergencies, conflicts, and natural disasters, was 67-percent 

higher than the 4 years prior; 

Whereas, every day, more than 15,000 children die worldwide, mostly from preventable causes, and 810 women die 

due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications; 

Whereas, every year, millions of people succumb to HIV/ 

AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other treatable and 

often preventable chronic conditions; 

Whereas an estimated 665,000,000 people contracted 

COVID–19 from 2020 through January 2023, and the 

World Health Organization recorded close to 15,000,000 

excess deaths globally in 2020 and 2021, making it the 

most devastating pandemic in modern times; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic threatened the global 

economy and caused trillions of dollars in economic 

losses; 

Whereas a shortage of available health workers was the largest constraint to ensuring the continuity of essential 

health services during the COVID–19 pandemic, leading 

to service disruptions and gaps in care; 

Whereas frontline health workers are leaving the profession 

at alarming rates due to being overburdened and high 

levels of burnout; 

Whereas frontline health workers include a range of occupations who work for salaries, stipends, nonmonetary incentives, or on a volunteer basis, including community health 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HRES 389 IH 

workers, midwives and other perinatal health workers, 

nurses, pharmacists, doctors, and surgeons; 

Whereas the World Health Organization reports that the 

world will face a shortfall of at least 10,000,000 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, and these are 

regions that have the greatest share of the global disease 

burden and the highest number of preventable deaths, 

and from which many emerging and reemerging global 

health threats originate; 

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 that health investments provide a 9-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 fragile settings and during disease outbreaks, such as the between 80,000 to 180,000 health 

and care workers estimated to have died from COVID– 

19 in the period between January 2020 to May 2021; 

Whereas, since 2020, there have been more than 2,350 attacks on health care facilities, transport, and personnel, 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HRES 389 IH 

leading to more than 750 health workers killed in countries in conflict and impeding access to essential health 

services for millions while exacerbating crises; 

Whereas United States leadership and investment have led to 

dramatic successes in global health outcomes, including 

the reduction of child mortality by 60 percent and of maternal mortality by 38 percent from 1990 to 2020, the 

reduction of new HIV infections by 31 percent from 2010 

to 2020, and the decrease in malaria mortality by 38 percent from 2000 to 2019, and this progress has contributed to corresponding productivity and economic growth; 

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

lost gains from COVID–19, including the first global reduction in life expectancy in over half a century, and the 

efficacy and sustainability of United States global health 

programs; 

Whereas frontline health workers are a trusted workforce who 

are the first, and often only, link to health services for 

millions of people living in low- and middle-income countries and provide services where they are most needed, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas; 

Whereas frontline health workers too often work without reliable access to the resources and equipment they need to 

adequately protect themselves and their patients, including personal protective equipment, clean water, decent 

toilets, and handwashing facilities with soap, limiting 

their ability to provide essential health services to the 

communities they serve; 

Whereas partnerships with civil society organizations and the 

private sector in adequately training, equipping, compenVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:55 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR389.IH HR389

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HRES 389 IH 

sating, protecting, and supporting frontline health workers help countries achieve progress toward global health 

goals; 

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, prior to the 

COVID–19 pandemic, at least half the world’s population 

lacked access to essential health services, and health systems have been further strained since the COVID–19 

pandemic began; 

Whereas the Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth found that increased health workforce employment is critical to saving lives, spurring inclusive economic growth, and promoting women’s empowerment, as 

women comprise at least 70 percent of the health workforce and make up 90 percent of health workers in patient-facing roles, but they face a significant gender pay 

gap and hold just 25 percent of health leadership positions; and 

Whereas successful implementation of the United States global health contributions and improved health and socioeconomic outcomes for those served by these programs 

requires integrated, flexible, and cross-sectoral programming: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reaffirms the central role of local frontline 

3 health workforces in achieving the objectives of glob4 al health programs administered by the Department 

5 of State, the United States Agency for International 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HRES 389 IH 

1 Development, the Department of Health and Human 

2 Services, including the Centers for Disease Control 

3 and Prevention, the Department of Defense, and 

4 other relevant agencies, as well as multilateral insti5 tutions, nongovernmental organizations, and private 

6 sector organizations supported by the United States; 

7 (2) acknowledges that in the aftermath of nat8 ural disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflicts, 

9 frontline health workers perform critical services 

10 under difficult working conditions, often at great 

11 personal risk, to save the lives of those without ade12 quate access to medicines, equipment, or safe water 

13 and sanitation; 

14 (3) recognizes the damaging effects of gender 

15 and economic disparities in the health workforce, 

16 given that most frontline health workers are women, 

17 and that most of them are unpaid or underpaid; 

18 (4) urges greater global attention and support 

19 for local frontline health workers to ensure their pro20 tection and ability to respond effectively during hu21 manitarian and public health crises, including with 

22 adequate personal protective equipment and other 

23 essential health product supplies to guard against 

24 disease, and protection of frontline health workers 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HRES 389 IH 

1 and populations in conflict-affected States from de2 liberate and indiscriminate attacks and targeting; 

3 (5) calls on all relevant Federal agencies to uti4 lize existing flexibilities to implement integrated and 

5 cross-sectoral programming across global health ac6 counts to strengthen frontline health workforce 

7 teams and the systems supporting them with con8 crete targets and clear accountability mechanisms to 

9 support delivery of resilient and sustainable access 

10 to essential, quality health services; and 

11 (6) encourages all relevant Federal agencies to 

12 facilitate collaborative learning between domestic 

13 and global frontline health workforce strengthening 

14 programs to improve effectiveness and health out15 comes, and to prioritize the mobilization of addi16 tional private and public resources to ensure that 

17 frontline health workers are able to advance sustain18 able global health progress around the world. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB