More than 17,000 health care workers worldwide have died as a result of COVID-19 over the past year mainly as a result of unsafe working conditions and government apathy, according to a report from Amnesty International, Public Services International and UNI Global Union.

One in five of these deaths occurred in the U.S.

"This is certainly a significant underestimate because there is a degree of under-reporting in a lot of countries," said Steve Cockburn, the head of economic and social justice at Amnesty International.

Data as of Friday said at least 3,507 health care worker deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. - a 21% of total deaths. There were 3,371 health care worker deaths in Mexico, 1,143 in Brazil, 1,131 in Russia and 931 in the U.K.

These five countries lead the world in deaths associated with the coronavirus. The U.S., Brazil and Mexico have the world's most deaths per country, according to Worldometer data. The UK is fifth and Russia, seventh.

The report said the deaths were the equivalent of a health worker dying every 30 minutes. It called these unnecessary losses a "tragedy and an injustice."

"For one health worker to die from COVID-19 every 30 minutes is both a tragedy and an injustice," said Cockburn.

"Health workers all over the world have put their lives on the line to try and keep people safe from COVID-19, yet far too many have been left unprotected and paid the ultimate price."

Cockburn said governments must ensure all health care workers everywhere are protected from COVID-19. Having risked their lives throughout the pandemic, it's time these people are prioritized for life-saving vaccines, Cockburn said.

"Urgent action must be taken to close the huge global inequalities in vaccine access, so a community health worker in Peru is protected as much as a doctor in the UK."

The report blamed the deaths mainly on unsafe working conditions and a lack of personal protective equipment. Government apathy and dismissiveness is also to blame.

The report said the neglect of health care workers had been a consistent feature of the pandemic. At least 1,576 nursing home staff have so far died from COVID-19 in the U.S.

In the UK, 494 social care workers died in 2020. Government data shows those working in nursing homes and community care are more than three times as likely to die from COVID-19 as the general working population. 

"These deaths are horrific, catastrophic, and reflect only a fraction of the pandemic's real costs to care workers around the world," said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union.

"A virus does not differentiate between a surgeon and a nursing home worker or home care assistant, and neither should our approach to vaccinations, protective equipment, and safety protocols for care workers exposed to COVID-19."

She also said the world's response to COVID-19 must spur fundamental changes in care, otherwise it will replicate the inequalities that have put so many lives needlessly at risk.