ILO Sectoral Brief: COVID-19 and the Health Sector

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) puts a spotlight on the resilience of health systems and countries’ emergency preparedness and response. The rapid expansion of COVID-19 emphasizes the urgent need for a strong health workforce as an integral part of every resilient health system. Health workers are the backbone of the health system. Due to the nature of their profession, millions of them risk their own health doing their daily work. So, who is protecting health workers, who are so critical to the fight to stem the COVID-19 pandemic? Respect for labour rights and decent conditions of work are crucial to give these frontline workers the protection they need for waging the long battle ahead to save lives.

This brief is intended to provide information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health workers and health systems, as well as information on early response measures taken. As the situation is changing so rapidly, the brief provides a preliminary overview, which will be updated and complemented in the coming weeks.