Cancel the debt so doctors and nurses can keep saving lives

A call for urgent action to support doctors and nurses on the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We are all health workers, nurses, doctors. Every day we are on the frontline fighting this virus. Every day we are on the wards, in the emergency rooms. Every day we see first-hand the suffering this sickness is causing.

Many of us lack the vital protective equipment that stops us getting infected, and stops others getting infected too. This is dangerous, exhausting work.

Even the best public healthcare systems in the world are struggling to face this virus. Yet we know it is the countries with healthcare that is universal, and publicly provided, that will be best placed to get through this. Yet in most countries, health services are desperately weak and deeply unequal. You can only get treatment if you have money.

This is a global public health emergency bigger than anything humanity has ever seen. Governments all over the world must make a huge investment in scaling up public healthcare now for all their people. Healthcare is a right and should be free.

Rich nations should help pay for this by immediately cancelling the debt payments of developing countries. This will release billions of dollars that can pay for vital healthcare. Many governments are currently spending far more on repaying debts than they do on health. To prevent millions of deaths this injustice has to end now.

We call on the leaders of the world to act now. Act now to make healthcare available free to all who need it. Act now to cancel the debts of developing countries before it is too late. 

Sincerely,

Dr.Febby Andri, Indonesia

Dr. Haifaa Awad, Denmark

Dr.Asma Awadh, Kenya

Medical Officer, Salim Shafiq Abdalla, Kenya

Dr. Rúbia Dara Belizário, Brazil

Physician’s Assistant, Charles Duah, Ghana

Dr. Rob Hadman, UK

Dr.Nguyen Thi Hang,Vietnam

Dr.Clara Hernando, Spain

Dr.Trinh Thi Huong,Vietnam

Dr. Đoàn Ngọc Hùng,Vietnam

Dr. Sara A. Johnson, United States

Nurse, Fela Kumambala, Malawi

Dr.Veronica G.Lewis,United States

Dr. Norma Matara, Zimbabwe

Dr. Michele Musoga, Kenya

Dr.Mwanaidi, Kenya

Dr.Yesika Nadya,  Indonesia

Dr. Fortune Nyamande, Zimbabwe

Dr.Javier Gómez Pavón, Spain

Nurse, Karess Stacey A. Rivera, Philippines

Dr.Huang Thu Thuy, Vietnam

Dr. Lee Edson P. Yarcia, Philippines