The WHO Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 sets out the policy agenda to ensure a workforce that is fit for purpose to attain the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of its objectives is primarily linked to strengthening data on human resources for health
Definition:
Number of other health service providers (excepting physicians, nursing and midwifery personnel, dentistry personnel and community health workers) per 1 000 population.
Disaggregation:
Age, Sex, Location (urban/rural), Occupational specialization, Main work activity, Provider type (public/private)
Method of measurement
The method of estimation for numbers of other health service providers (which may include a large range of occupations such as ambulance workers, dieticians and nutritionists, environmental and occupational health inspectors, medical assistants, medical imaging technicians, medical laboratory technicians, optometrists, paramedical practitioners, personal care workers, pharmaceutical personnel, physiotherapists, speech therapists, and traditional and complementary medicine practitioners) depends on the organization of the national health system and the nature of the original data source. Enumeration based on population census data is a count of the number of people reporting a health occupation (as classified according to the tasks and duties of their job). A similar method is used for estimates based on labour force survey data, with the additional application of a sampling weight to calibrate for national representation. Data from health facility assessments and administrative reporting systems may be based on head counts of employees, duty rosters, staffing records, payroll records, registries of health professional regulatory bodies, or tallies from other types of routine administrative records on human resources. Ideally, information on the stock of health workers should be assessed through administrative records compiled, updated and reported at least annually, and periodically validated and adjusted against data from a population census or other nationally representative source.
M&E Framework:
Output
Method of estimation:
WHO compiles data on health workforce from routine administrative information systems (including reports on public expenditure, staffing and payroll as well as professional training, registration and licensure), population censuses, labour force and employment surveys and health facility assessments. Most of the data from administrative sources are derived from published national health sector reviews and/or official country reports to WHO offices In general, the denominator data for workforce density (i.e. national population estimates) are obtained from the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects database.
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