Health and Social care services

UNISON’s Mental Health Matters campaign aims to highlight the pressure faced by mental health services in the UK, and the impact this has on those accessing services. It also explores the mental health and wellbeing of staff providing the much-needed support, who also struggle to deal with their own stress while helping others.

On the occasion of World Health Day 2017, PSI released its publications series, Non-Standard Work in the Healthcare Sector in South Asia. The series of publications aimed at disseminating information on the challenges facing the health workforce in the region, both in the public and private sector.

Germany has placed health in the centre of discussion during several international meetings. It will also be addressed at the G20 summit in Hamburg in July.

PSI commenced the process of establishing official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) in May, 2017, to conclude this before the end of July. This is in line with the WHO Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA), established last year by the 69th World Health Assembly.

The two months since the publication of the debut edition of the Right to Health have been very encouraging, as you will read in this edition. The bi-monthly newsletter was launched during the PSI Africa and Arab Countries Regional Executive Committee (AFREC) meeting at Lagos, Nigeria in March.

The world held its breath on 12 May 2017, when it was confirmed that the Democratic Republic of Congo was in the throes of an outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease. It’s the eighth time the central African country has been hit by an Ebola epidemic since 1976.

An important step forward was taken towards improving employment and working conditions in the health services with commitments jointly made by governments and social partners at a tripartite meeting held on 24-28 April, at the ILO.