Title: 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.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution reaffirms the important role of local frontline health workers in promoting global health, specifically in the aftermath of humanitarian and public health crises. The resolution calls on relevant federal agencies to implement certain measures in order to strengthen the frontline health workforce.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 467 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 467

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

                             June 27, 2019

 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 estimated 140,000,000 people in 2017 affected by humanitarian 
        crises, including conflicts and natural disasters, was 200 percent 
        higher than 10 years prior;
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, and prevent and respond to humanitarian 
        crises and global health security threats from infectious diseases, 
        including Ebola;
Whereas frontline health workers include a range of occupations, such as 
        community health workers, midwives, nurses, pharmacists, doctors, and 
        surgeons;
Whereas the World Health Organization reports that the world will face a 
        shortfall of 18,000,000 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 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;
Whereas, in 2018, at least 167 health workers were killed and 710 injured in 
        attacks, which occurred in at least 23 countries in conflict and impeded 
        access to essential health services for millions while exacerbating 
        refugee crises;
Whereas United States leadership and investment has led to dramatic successes in 
        global health, including the reduction of child mortality by 58 percent 
        and of maternal mortality by 44 percent from 1990 to 2017, the reduction 
        of new HIV infections by 36 percent from 2000 to 2017, and the decrease 
        in malaria mortality by 62 percent from 2000 to 2015, 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 the efficacy and sustainability of 
        United States global health programs;
Whereas frontline health workers 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 
        remote and rural areas;
Whereas frontline health workers too often work without 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;
Whereas partnerships with faith-based organizations, humanitarian 
        nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector in adequately 
        training, equipping, compensating, 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 at least half the 
        world's population lacks access to essential health services;
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 employment in the health and 
        social sectors, compared with about 40 percent across all sectors;
Whereas every day, more than 14,000 children die worldwide, mostly from 
        preventable causes, and 830 women die due to pregnancy or childbirth-
        related complications;
Whereas every year, millions of people succumb to the ravages of AIDS, 
        tuberculosis, malaria, and other treatable and often preventable chronic 
        conditions; 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms the central role of local frontline health 
        workforce teams in achieving the objectives of global health 
        programs administered by the Department of State, the United 
        States Agency for International Development, the Department of 
        Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease 
        Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense, and other 
        relevant agencies, as well as multilateral institutions 
        supported by the United States;
            (2) acknowledges that in the aftermath of natural 
        disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflict, frontline health 
        workers perform critical services under difficult working 
        conditions, often at great personal risk, to save the lives of 
        those without access to medicines, equipment, or safe water and 
        sanitation in many cases;
            (3) urges greater global attention and support for local 
        frontline health workers to ensure their protection and ability 
        to respond effectively during humanitarian and public health 
        crises, including protection of frontline health workers and 
        populations in conflict-affected states from deliberate and 
        indiscriminate attacks and targeting;
            (4) calls on all relevant Federal agencies to utilize 
        existing flexibilities to implement integrated and cross-
        sectoral programming across global health accounts to 
        strengthen local frontline health workforce teams and the 
        systems supporting them with concrete targets and clear 
        accountability mechanisms to support delivery of resilient and 
        sustainable access to essential health services; and
            (5) encourages all relevant Federal agencies to facilitate 
        collaborative learning between domestic and global frontline 
        health workforce-strengthening programs to improve 
        effectiveness and health outcomes, and to prioritize the 
        mobilization of additional private and public resources to 
        ensure that frontline health workers are able to address the 
        most acute issues to advance sustainable global health 
        progress.
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