How investments in gender equality have kept health systems running during COVID-19 Even before COVID-19, investments in health systems—and especially female health workers—were too low. In 2019 the world had a gap of 18 million health workers. Two years and 15 million deaths later, we have at least 26 million fewer health workers than we need. This leaves us severely unprepared for future pandemics and other major shocks to the health system, including conflict and climate change. We must invest in health systems that don’t just meet the needs of today, but that are also resilient in the face of future shocks. Pandemic preparedness requires gender equality: equal recognition, support, and fair pay for ALL health workers. Globally, 70% of health workers are women, but half of their work is unpaid. We must do more to support these health workers. The glimmers of success in COVID-19 built on previous investments in women health workers, their skills, and equality in health systems. Pre-existing investments in equality helped systems respond to COVID-19. Increased investments will build better resilience for the crises that come next.
In the first half of 2024, CARE Uganda launched a social behavior change campaign (SBCC) targeting discriminatory gender norms that limit women’s and girls’ access to and use of technology, particularly smartphones. Media-based messaging is a widely-adopted approach for shaping community behaviors and attitudes and promoting public and financial health practices in front of a broad audience. CARE Uganda used this strategy to encourage communities to reflect on their beliefs regarding technology, especially those that restrict who can use and benefit from mobile technology. Read More
This report is a summary of CARE's activities in Poland and the Central and Eastern Europe region in 2023. 2023 marks second year of CARE's activities in Poland after its return because of the escalation of war in Ukraine. The Polish office is also active in Slovakia and Hungary, and supports CARE's efforts in Ukraine. With no end to the conflict in sight, CARE Poland has continued to provide humanitarian assistance, support integration efforts, and optimize our programs to better adapt to a protracted crisis. In 2023, we’ve reached more than 800,000 people with our 34 programs. Read More
The "Mudzi Wathu Village Bank" brief outlines an innovative digital financial platform tailored for Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Malawi. Developed through a collaboration between TNM Mpamba (Malawian MNO) and CARE Malawi, the platform enhances financial inclusion by integrating digital technology with traditional financial practices. Key features include the expansion of mobile money agents, affordable feature phones, and secure transactions through the *444# USSD service. Read More