Urgent measures are needed to protect vulnerable women, children and adolescents and health workers who support them in the conflict-affected countries of South Asia

New Delhi [India] April 27 (ANI / PNN): Women, children and adolescents, as well as health and care workers who provide them with care and support, face growing challenges and life-threatening risks at a time of escalating conflict and humanitarian crises around the world. reports commentary published in The While recent devastating hostilities in Ukraine have interested the world, there are a number of other long-standing and growing conflicts that also deserve attention and political mobilization from the world community. In 2020, for example, a record 56 active conflicts, comments by co-authors, Rt. Dear. Helen Clark, Chair of PMNCH and former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Kersti Kaljulaid, global advocate for every woman, every child, former Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, call for a multisectoral response to ensure continuity of services for women, children and adolescents and humanitarian conditions. They also call on world leaders to step up investment in security and protection for health and care workers who risk their own lives in an effort to provide services, support and care to vulnerable women, children and adolescents in the most difficult circumstances.

In times of conflict and in a difficult humanitarian environment, even the most basic medical rights – from access to safe obstetric services to conventional childhood vaccinations – can be denied to vulnerable women, children and adolescents who need them.

The theme of World Immunization Week 2022 “Long life for all” – in the pursuit of a long and well-lived life, provides a timely reminder that the supply of vaccines against life-threatening childhood diseases remains a global ambition, it has not yet been achieved everywhere. especially for those in conflict. If the armed conflict occurs within 10 km of the child’s place of residence, the probability that the child will be vaccinated is 47.2 percent lower. After the killing of eight polio workers in the “Safety of health workers and care workers in conflict zones must be respected and protected under all circumstances, as violations of health workers’ rights are both a health crisis and a humanitarian crisis. Unfortunately, health security Workers in conflict zones are one of the most important humanitarian issues, but they ignore it, ”said Dr. Navin Tucker, president-elect of the International Pediatric Association.

Women, children and adolescents in conflict and humanitarian crises face additional threats to their lives and well-being.

Health and care workers also risk their safety and lives by trying to maintain the coverage of services, care and support for vulnerable women, children and adolescents in conflict situations. They can become victims of conflict either as accidental victims of attacks or as deliberate targets of enemy forces. Violence against care workers “Attacks on health systems and personnel in conflict zones not only have profound acute and long-term consequences for health systems, but also place a burden on health personnel, many of which injure directly and abroad. There is an urgent need. to address this serious challenge, as it is crucial to achieving SDGs 3 and 16, ”says Dr Jaydip Malhotra, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

In Myanmar, “To protect those who protect us, there is an urgent need for targeted investment coordination to promote secure access to services, including the delivery of vaccines and other essential services and goods, through multilevel and multisectoral private and public efforts.” Clark and Kirsty Kaljulaid at BMJ.

“If health workers are to provide vaccines and other necessary services in these circumstances, they require continued protection, as called for by the UN Security Council (Resolution 2286) and prescribed by the impact of conflicts and humanitarian crises on women, children and adolescents and health workers at risk life while protecting others will be further explored at a upcoming virtual summit hosted by PMNCH, the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s and adolescents ’health.

On Thursday, May 19, 2022, this story was presented to PNN. ANI is not responsible for the content of this article. (ANI / PNN)