Our duty of care: A global call to action to protect the mental health of health and care workers

Overview

Perhaps more than any time in recent history, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the vital role that health and care workers play in caring for the global population. Yet it has become increasingly clear over the last three years that we – as policymakers, employers and, ultimately, society – have largely failed in our duty of care for these essential workers, particularly with regard to their mental health and wellbeing.

Even before the pandemic, challenging working conditions, ethical dilemmas, and high-stress environments were known to increase the likelihood of mental health conditions among this group. The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on health services has exacerbated these issues and has also revealed stark gaps in how most health systems assess, manage and protect the mental health of their health and care workers.

This report examines the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of the health and care workforce. It highlights effective interventions to support mental health, and provides 10 policy actions to support this group and ensure global health security now and into the future. These actions respond to recent landmark decisions of Member States in the World Health Assembly and International Labour Conference that reaffirm the obligations of governments and employers to protect and safeguard the health and care workforce, ensuring decent work in a safe and enabling practice environment that upholds their mental health and wellbeing.

For generations the world has expected health and care personnel to deliver care to individual patients, their families and communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that the obligations implicit in duty of care extend to the systems that support those personnel.