We are proud and thankful that today, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced to have selected Wemos and partners to work together in a new strategic partnership.

We are proud to present Wemos’ year overview 2019. As last year also marked our 40^th anniversary, it was a special year that gave us the opportunity to look back on our history, and see how far we’ve come as an organisation. Want to find out about our programmes’ achievements, many media appearances, new collaborations and how we celebrated our 40^th birthday? Head on over to our new interactive document!

Together with 143 civil society organisations, we call on the major funders in global health to prioritise international funding that supports recruitment of health workers in resource limited contexts. In a letter, we ask the funders to commit and contribute to pooled and adequate funding for long-term investments in the health workforce. This would address shortages for the short term COVID-19 response, but also build strong future health system resilience and health workforce preparedness and response capability. And it will guarantee readiness for public health threats, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health for all as a human right.

On Sunday 19 April, the Dutch public radio channel NPO Radio 1 asked
Wemos’ Global Health Advocate Ella Weggen  whether testing a corona vaccine in Africa is a good idea.

“A woman who was about to give birth came in,” said Deborah, an obstetrician in Malawi. After giving birth, she started to bleeding a lot, and this continued throughout the night. We did everything we could to stop the bleeding. But when she finally did, she had already lost a lot of blood. Since we didn’t have blood to give her, I donated my own blood. That saved her. A few days later she was able to go home, healthy, and with her baby. ”

The Netherlands gives its support to a global pool for rights on data, knowledge and intellectual property on Covid-19 that can be freely shared. Last week Wemos sent a letter to the Dutch cabinet, on behalf of 38 civil society organisations, political youth organisations and 20 public health experts to request the Dutch government for support.

Today, on World Health Day, and in the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, the first ever State of the World’s Nursing Report 2020 has been launched. The WHO and partners call for urgent investment in nurses. The report comes at a crucial time when global leaders are focused on achieving Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Also, with the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting lives all over the globe, the report adds an extra dimension to this day – as health workers worldwide, including nurses and midwives, are working tirelessly to save lives.  

Yesterday, Wemos sent a letter on behalf of 38 civil society organisations, political youth organisations and 20 public health experts to Minister Van Rijn (Medical Care), Minister Kaag (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) and Minister Wiebes (Economic Affairs and Climate) with the call to support the worldwide ‘Covid-19 pool’. The organisations call for free sharing of knowledge, data and intellectual property around Covid-19.

Wemos collaborates with other organisations to make our (joint) messages and advocacy stronger. Here are recent letters we have signed with others on access to medicines and COVID-19 – a crucial public health matter in these times.

In her new opinion article, Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans explains why the Covid-19 crisis shows the need for global solidarity. ‘There is no point in only improving our own health care, and neglecting it elsewhere, because a virus outbreak elsewhere will eventually reach us all in this globalised world.’