Tell governments to prioritize mental health as we begin to recover from the pandemic!
HRI
Physical illness hasn’t been the only challenge during this pandemic. From mass job loss and disrupted education, over social isolation and decreased physical activity, to and the death of family and friends – COVID has breached every corner of our lives.
So, it’s no surprise that COVID-19 has severely impacted mental health around the world, increasing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, sleep disruptions and thoughts of suicide. And we can’t assume these major issues will fix themselves.
Add your name to demand governments address widespread mental health concerns in recovery plans!
The scale of mental health concerns cannot be underestimated, particularly in impoverished countries where already weak mental health systems have become even more fragmented, and where high rates of suicide are likely to increase even after the pandemic, due to trauma and economic hardship.
HealthRight International has deployed pandemic-specific mental health support services globally. They make therapy and medication accessible to refugees and internally displaced people in Uganda, run psychosocial support teams for survivors of domestic violence in Ukraine, and train local health workers around the world to provide basic mental health support to their communities.
But even they cannot do it alone. We need focused government attention to these less-acknowledged symptoms of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Join HealthRight International in asking governments to prioritize mental health services in their COVID-19 recovery plans!
Thank frontline health workers who risked their lives on the frontlines of the pandemic!
HRI
This past year, our frontline health workers – doctors, nurses, pharmacists, community health workers, and so many others – have created a new definition for bravery and heroism. Nearly every country in the world has been touched by both COVID-19 and a corresponding new understanding of how indispensable our frontline workers are.
Add your name to thank frontline frontline health workers everywhere – and include a personal note of appreciation!
Our healthcare heroes have shown a particular ingenuity by finding ways to continue doing their jobs safely, even in the face of lockdowns and increased risk to their own health.
And, it’s never been clearer that some communities lack equitable healthcare access, as evidenced by the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in low-income areas and communities of color. Frontline health workers in these areas have faced even more challenges, and have problem-solved in even more creative ways to make up for a lack of available resources.
HealthRight International is honoring frontline health workers across the world at the Health & Human Rights Awards on May 27. Their work focuses on training and supporting frontline health workers, particularly in marginalized and underserved communities. Join us in thanking these heroes for guiding us through this pandemic.
Sign here to send a thank you to frontline health workers around the world, and add your own personal message!
Stop violence against women and improve support for survivors!
HRI
This year, the COVID-19 Pandemic has led to a rise in gender-based violence around the world, following public health responses such as lockdowns. The UN’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence has chosen the theme “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” to emphasize the continued need for funding and essential services through the pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization, up to 70% of women experience physical and or sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, depending on the country. In most countries the rates of physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner range from 29% to 62%.
Even more concerning, over 50% of physically abused women reported that they had never sought help from formal services or authority figures.
Currently, HealthRight International has projects in Ukraine, Uganda, Kenya, and the US that are working to prevent, respond to, and end gender-based violence, but this work cannot be done alone. We need your support to draw attention to this public health crisis and to call on countries, organizations, and people that can help address GBV.
Please join HealthRight’s call for an end to gender-based violence!
Tell the U.S. to rebuild an immigration system that protects vulnerable asylum seekers!
HRI
Target: United States Executive Branch
Each year, thousands of survivors of torture and other severe human rights abuses flee persecution in their home countries, seeking asylum and other protections in the United States.
America’s long-held prosperity is owed largely to the nation opening its arms to those in need and providing a place to build lives, thrive, and give back. It is more than the right thing. It’s the smart thing.
Many of today’s leaders don’t get it. In 2016, the U.S. welcomed 85,000 asylum seekers. The next year, that number fell by 25% and 50% the year after that. In the first ten months of 2020, fewer than 12,000 people have been granted asylum in the U.S.
Please join HealthRight International in calling for the U.S. to rebuild an immigration system that protects immigrant families, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Abandoning families in need, who would become valued members of our society is a moral abdication and contrary to our nation’s interest.
Since 1993, HealthRight has provided health services to thousands of immigrants who have experienced torture, gender-based violence, LGBT-based persecution, female genital cutting, and human trafficking. But there’s so much more that must be done.
Please join HealthRight’s call for the U.S. to rebuild an immigration system that protects asylum seekers!
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Photo Credit: Sandy Huffaker—AFP/Getty Images