In many countries worldwide today, professionals, policymakers, and the public regard health and social work as separate professions that respond after ill health or other crises have occurred. The founders of our professions fought against this approach.
Numerous countries have attempted to integrate health and social protection systems, yet too often these initiatives have fallen short of expectations where political cultures perpetuate separation of social wellbeing and health. Thus, division of social wellbeing from health interferes with the effectiveness of both in almost every country especially Global South.
In the case of Canada, the social work in Health care system have been integrated, with development of ad hoc intersectoral working arrangements to engage communities more effectually in strategies to improve health and wellbeing.
However, in Africa healthcare and social worker setting with Nigeria as the case in point, challenges and enhancement of medical social workers in public health facilities is rampant characterized by; Lack of legal backing, inadequate facilities, unfavorable organizational structure, lack of graduate medical social workers, inadequate recognition of the role of medical social workers, domineering attitude of medical professionals, inadequate remuneration, lack of means of transportation, and inadequate motivation, were the challenges facing social workers in the public health care facilities. Globally, Healthcare professionals have recently formed the Coalition which introduced common values and messages.
In recent years, the fight against Covid-19 pandemic proved, medicine as a social science, as the science of human beings, has the obligation to point out problems and to attempt their theoretical solution Healthcare and social workers have been on the front lines of the response to COVID-19 since its early days.
Its therefore inevitable to convene healthcare and social work professionals around the world to learn from the success of the integrating Healthcare with social work here-in Canada. This is made visible with social worker working alongside healthcare professionals for referrals to family doctors, counseling, caseworkers of mental health and addiction patients. Medical social workers serve as navigators for clients seeking services within the health care system and community at large.
