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COVID-19 and the Health Sector
Article

COVID-19 and the Health Sector

ILO Sectoral Brief

ILO, 2020


Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Overview
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

An informative report from the International Labour Organization outlines COVID-19’s impact on health workers and health systems around the world. Published in April 2020, the report indicates how countries responded in the early months of the pandemic. The issues it raises – of occupational safety and health, workers’ mental health, working hours, gender disparities, workforce shortages, and financial impacts – remain relevant and largely unresolved.

Take-Aways

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has placed heavy demands on health workers, and they need support.
  • Short-term health workers, including volunteers, need the same protections.
  • Women are bearing disproportionate burdens during the pandemic and need specific support.

About the Author

The International Labour Organization, an agency of the United Nations, works to advance social and economic justice through setting international labor standards.