[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 389 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 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 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, 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, 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, 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms the central role of local frontline health 
        workforces 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, 
        nongovernmental organizations, and private sector organizations 
        supported by the United States;
            (2) acknowledges that in the aftermath of natural 
        disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflicts, frontline health 
        workers perform critical services under difficult working 
        conditions, often at great personal risk, to save the lives of 
        those without adequate access to medicines, equipment, or safe 
        water and sanitation;
            (3) recognizes the damaging effects of gender and economic 
        disparities in the health workforce, given that most frontline 
        health workers are women, and that most of them are unpaid or 
        underpaid;
            (4) 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 with adequate personal protective equipment 
        and other essential health product supplies to guard against 
        disease, and protection of frontline health workers and 
        populations in conflict-affected States from deliberate and 
        indiscriminate attacks and targeting;
            (5) calls on all relevant Federal agencies to utilize 
        existing flexibilities to implement integrated and cross-
        sectoral programming across global health accounts to 
        strengthen 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, quality health services; and
            (6) 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 advance 
        sustainable global health progress around the world.
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