More than 7.5 million health workers in the Americas will receive national and international recognition on World Health Day, April 7, for the invaluable role they play in promoting and protecting the health of others.

With the theme of "Working for Health," this year's World Health Day campaign highlights the critical contribution of human resources for health and honors the dedication and spirit of service of doctors and nurses as well as policymakers, scientists, pharmacists, technicians, volunteers, and others who have chosen health as their vocation.

In addition to honoring health workers, the campaign also calls on those in positions of power and leadership to provide greater support to a sector faced with a number of challenges, and to provide health workers with the necessary tools and working conditions to do their jobs effectively.

"Too often, in the institutions responsible for public health, we design major policies and programs without factoring in the importance of building human resource capacity to implement those programs," said Dr. Charles Godue, chief of PAHO's Human Resources for Health Unit. "What we need is greater dialogue among all relevant actors and sectors."

PAHO is working with its Member States as well as public and private partners and civil society as a whole to promote capacity building for human resources in health throughout the Americas.

Heroes for health

As part of the World Health Day celebrations, PAHO and its member countries have identified individuals and teams of health workers throughout the hemisphere who have performed outstanding services to their communities. They will be honored as "Everyday Heroes" in ceremonies throughout the region.

"The main message is to celebrate more than 7 million health workers in the Americas who work every day alongside the ill, serving hard-to-reach communities, and focused on improving public health, many times with little or no recognition and often with inadequate compensation," said Dr. Felix Rigoli, PAHO regional advisor on human resources for health. "With this we also want to highlight the need for all these heroes to be adequately motivated and trained, because our health is in their hands. Human capacity is built slowly, but it is the basis for a more equitable and better health system."

Decade for human resources

This year's World Health Day will also launch a Decade for the Promotion of Human Resources in Health. Organizers are calling on governments and social actors to make human resources in health a priority of their development strategies and programs, committing the necessary political will, actions and resources to overcome the challenges the sector faces.

The Decade of Human Resources in Health is not just symbolic, explains Godue. "Some see it as a counterweight to the lost decade in human resources for health during the 1990s."

"My dream for 2015 is rooted in the hundreds of millions of people who lack access to basic health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our region does not have the problems of Africa, with its gaping deficit in human resources. But we have many Africas inside our countries. This has to change."

PAHO was established in 1902 and is the world's oldest public health organization. It works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and the quality of life of people of the Americas, and serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).

PANAMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION (PAHO)