WISH: SAUDI ARABIA'S HEALTHCARE WORKERS IDENTIFY LEADERSHIP AND TRAINING AS ESSENTIAL FOR FUTURE HEALTH SYSTEM RESILIENCE

WISH survey finds Saudi Arabia ranks highly in recognizing the value of organizational support and robust staff training programs

DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Arabia's healthcare practitioners recognize the critical nature of strong organizational leadership as well as staff education for building health system resilience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an international survey.

Considering the factors that bolster the ability of health systems to perform better during such crises, over half (52 percent) of Saudi Arabia's healthcare professionals pointed to the importance of leadership support as a key driver of resilient health systems, found the study, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH).

Additionally, Saudi Arabia's healthcare workers (26 percent) also highlighted that robust training programs form a key component of health system resilience. In this category, they ranked top amongst global peers in the UK (8 percent), US (11 percent), Nigeria (13 percent), Brazil (16 percent) and India (18 percent).

Health system resilience is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the ability to prepare for, manage and learn from sudden and extreme changes, including pandemics. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has raised alarm over underlying issues in global health systems that are undermining this ability, and posing as major threats to their survival in the event of similar large-scale emergencies.

When reflecting on factors currently weakening their national health system, nearly a third (28 percent) of workers stated that a lack of training, combined with other issues such as a shortage of skilled workers, as most prominent.

Looking ahead, Saudi Arabia's healthcare workers (46 percent) also placed the highest value in the idea that education and training of junior staff members will remain a trend in their healthcare industry over the next five years, compared with others in the UK (25 percent) and the US (30 percent) to think that.

"One of the biggest challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered is the lack of preparedness of global health systems to confront health emergencies of such magnitude. Considering that healthcare professionals are at the heart of these systems, making it possible for communities to receive care through challenging times demands more attention to be placed on their growth and development. We encourage global health organizations, policymakers, and health advocates to align efforts and devise strategies to underline the significance of training, education. and leadership programs, recognizing that this will strengthen the ability of global health systems to overcome major health challenges in future," said Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH.

The survey, which included healthcare professionals from the UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India, and Brazil, aimed to gain insights into the impacts of dealing with COVID-19 on healthcare workers' lives, shine a light on their experiences, as well as explore what the future of healthcare might look like according to those serving on the frontline of care delivery.

WISH, a global health initiative of Qatar Foundation, is a global platform which gathers healthcare experts, policymakers, and innovators to unite in the goal of building a healthier world. The biennial WISH Summit, taking place October 4 – 6 in Doha, Qatar and virtually, aims to showcase WISH's evidence-based research and discuss how to translate these findings into practical, policy-driven solutions that help transform global healthcare delivery.

The sixth edition of the summit will run under the banner of "Healing the Future." The summit will thoroughly explore the legacy of COVID-19 from various perspectives, including how to build more resilient and sustainable healthcare systems, improve our response to the mental health crisis faced by health and care workers, and harness the rapid progress in pharmaceutical innovation that has taken place during the pandemic.

For more information on WISH, visit www.wish.org.qa.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902072/WISH_QF_Logo.jpg