Public health emergencies

World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)
C/o FDI World Dental Federation, Avenue Louis-Casaï, 51, 1216 Geneva, Switzerland
info@whpa.org – http://www.whpa.org/
WHO 74th World Health Assembly
FDI, FIP, WMA and WP constituency statement on grouped
Items 17 (Public health emergencies: preparedness and
response) and 18 (Mental health preparedness for and
response to the COVID-19 pandemic)
I speak on behalf of FDI World Dental Federation, International Pharmaceutical Federation and
the World Medical Association.
We are part of a broader coalition called the World Health Professions Alliance, which also
includes the International Council of Nurses, representing over 41 million nurses, pharmacists,
physiotherapists, dentists and physicians.
Having a strong health workforce is key to supporting the world through any health emergency.
We urge Member States to heed the Independent Panel’s urgent call to take immediate action to
stop the pandemic and to follow recommendations to ensure that any future infectious disease
outbreak does not become another catastrophic pandemic. In particular, countries must invest in
preparedness now, and support their health professionals accordingly.
On the COVID-19 response, we ask Member States to:
• Provide channels for health professionals to have timely access to the latest accurate and
comprehensive information and guidance on COVID-19, including PPE considerations, and
on best practices during the pandemic across countries, free from political interference and
manipulation.
• Guarantee continuity of essential health services and avoid diagnosis and treatment
backlogs.
• Further invest in infrastructure and update regulations for immunization, to ensure health
systems have the capacity for population-wide COVID-19 immunization and that all priority
groups (including health professionals) are given precedence in the vaccination rollout in all
countries.
• Acknowledge there is a need to separate science and politics and actively involve health
professionals in decision-making.
On emergency preparedness, we ask Member States to:
• Support the call for expeditiously negotiating an international legal instrument to address
future pandemics.
• Set up a funding mechanism to support developing countries in strengthening their health
and education systems for future health emergencies, avoiding disruption of essential health
services and supplies.
World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)
C/o FDI World Dental Federation, Avenue Louis-Casaï, 51, 1216 Geneva, Switzerland
info@whpa.org – http://www.whpa.org/
• Ensure that health facilities provide Positive Practice Environments through sufficient
qualified staffing and decent working conditions, including occupational safety, manageable
workloads, stress reduction measures, adequate remuneration, protection from violence,
abuse and discrimination, and provision of psychosocial support and counselling.
• Include emergency preparedness and response, including guidance on PPE use, in all
health professional education curricula and ensure continuing professional development.
• Work with health professionals to foster collaboration between professions to strengthen
current care delivery and resilience for the future.
In addition, we urge Member States to prioritize the promotion of mental health and psychosocial
well-being in COVID-19 recovery plans, and to place a strong focus on those most vulnerable,
including health professionals.