,,iv #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #ace ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ba1 #bjac ,mrs4 ,lowey 7for herself and ,mr4 ,crenshaw7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,,resolution ,recognizing the importance of frontline health workers toward accelerating progress on global health and saving the lives of women and children1 and for other purposes4 ,whereas ,united ,states leadership and investment has led to dramatic successes in global health1 including the reduction of child mortality by #dj percent in the last #b decades1 the reduction of new ,,hiv infections by #ej percent in #be low and middle income countries1 a decrease in deaths from malaria by #be percent1 and the halving of maternal mortality rates2 ,whereas strong health systems in developing countries1 including a well-trained1 equipped1 and supported health workforce1 and access to health care are vital for these successes to continue and to ensure that the ,united ,states investment in global health programs is effective and sustainable2 ,whereas nations with healthy populations are more likely to be productive1 prosperous1 and peaceful1 while countries with poorer health are more prone to instability1 conflict1 and extremism2 ,whereas the #bjaj ,united ,states ,national ,security ,strategy cites the need to strengthen health systems and invest in global health as key components to countering national security threats2 ,whereas frontline health workers are the first and often the only link to health care for millions of people living in the developing world1 providing services where they are most needed1 especially in remote and rural areas2 ,whereas frontline health workers include individuals serving in a range of capacities such as community health workers1 midwives1 local pharmacists1 nurses1 and doctors2 ,whereas the empowerment of women within the health workforce is critical to save lives2 ,whereas frontline health workers provide families with access to a range of simple1 affordable1 life-saving care to help prevent and treat infections1 improve nutrition1 increase coverage of vaccines1 ensure healthy outcomes for mothers and newborns1 and fight diseases like tuberculosis1 malaria1 and ,,hiv1 and encourage proper water1 sanitation1 and hygiene practices2 ,whereas the presence of trained and supported frontline health workers is key to the success of ,united ,states global health programs1 including its efforts to achieve the global goals of ending preventable child deaths and fostering an ,,aids-free generation2 ,whereas it can cost as little as #cjj to train a frontline health worker in crucial life-saving skills1 making investments in frontline health workers one of the most cost effective ways to save lives2 ,whereas partnerships with faith-based organizations and the private sector in training1 equipping1 and deploying frontline health workers have helped countries achieve progress on global health goals2 ,whereas according to the ,world ,health ,organization1 there are #eg countries with critical health workforce shortages1 most of which are in sub-,saharan ,africa and ,south ,asia1 regions that also have the greatest share of the global disease burden and the highest number of preventable deaths2 ,whereas training frontline health workers helps to develop sustainable local capacity in a country because frontline health workers are drawn from the communities they serve and are less likely to migrate than higher skilled categories of health workers2 ,whereas the work of frontline health workers is particularly crucial during natural or complex emergency situations to save lives and to aid communities to recover1 rebuild1 and become self-reliant2 ,whereas the impact of investments in frontline health workers has been well documented1 such as in ,ethiopia where these investments led to a doubling of the rates of children who have been immunized1 treated for pneumonia1 and been given ,vitamin ,a to prevent blindness1 and in ,afghanistan1 where they have contributed to an almost fivefold increase of skilled midwives1 which has led to an over #aj-year gain in life expectancy for women2 ,whereas despite the key role of frontline health workers in improving health1 advancing peace and security1 and spurring economic growth1 the ,world ,health ,organization estimates a shortage of at least #a1jjj1jjj frontline health workers in the developing world2 ,whereas despite gains in access to health care1 #a1jjj1jjj1jjj of the world's nearly #g1jjj1jjj1jjj people have little or no access to basic health services2 ,whereas every day more than #bj1jjj children in the developing world perish1 mostly from preventable causes1 and #hjj women die due to pregnancy complications1 and every year millions of adults succumb to the ravages of ,,aids1 tuberculosis1 malaria1 and other treatable and preventable chronic diseases2 and ,whereas despite the importance of frontline health workers to successful implementation of ,united ,states global health programs and to improved health outcomes for those served by these programs1 the ,united ,states does not have a comprehensive global health workforce strategy3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 reaffirms the important role of frontline health workers in saving lives and fostering a healthier1 more secure1 and more prosperous world2 7#b7 commends the progress made by the ,united ,states in helping to build local capacity and to save lives in the world's most vulnerable communities by training and supporting frontline health care workers2 and 7#c7 calls on all relevant ,federal agencies1 including the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 the ,department of ,state1 and the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 to develop a coordinated and comprehensive health workforce strengthening strategy with concrete targets for increasing equitable access to qualified health workers in developing countries1 particularly in underserved areas1 with a strategic focus on frontline health workers4