500 Days to MDGs’ Target Date: New Video of Why #HealthWorkersCount for #MDGMomentum 

By Aanjalie Collure, IntraHealth International Today – August 18, 2014 – the global community comes together to recognize the 500-day mark until the target date for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). On this day, we take the time to honor the contributions of frontline health workers around the world in advancing the three health MDGs: reducing child mortality (MDG4), improving maternal health (MDG5), and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDG6). To demonstrate how integral frontline health workers have been to these global health goals, we have created an animated video highlighting why #healthworkerscount for #MDGMomentum.

Although frontline health workers have provided many communities with the services they need to lead healthier and more prosperous livelihoods, huge gaps remain in the service and accessibility of health workers. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1 billion people around the world have little to no access to frontline health workers. In addition, Save the Children estimates that there would be a 43% reduction of newborn deaths if more people had access to skilled care during labor. These statistics remind us how prioritizing health workforce strengthening is essential to accelerating progress during these last 500 days until the target date of the MDGs, and beyond. As the global community begins to discuss the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, health workforce strengthening and addressing the enormous health workforce shortage must be at the forefront of discussions if we are to enable further progress on global health goals. Help us show the world that #healthworkerscount for #MDGmomentum by using these hashtags and sharing this video on Twitter and in your social media circles!