Human Resources for Health Spotlight Series-Webinar 1

25 April 2023 15:00 – 16:00 CET

Global COVID-19 Health Workforce responses: recruit, retain, reskill, and support health workers

The evidence created during COVID-19 provides lessons for innovating and transforming the health and care workforce. This includes changing the scope of practice and introducing team-based roles, using technologies and digital tools, the importance of flexible regulation, protecting health and care workers and indispensable political leadership.

How can we build on this evidence and experience? How can we retain what has been achieved? What are the next steps necessary to strengthen the health and care workforce in the quest to achieve universal health coverage?


Keynote speaker: Margaret Ziemann, George Washington University, USA

Discussant: Jim Campbell, World Health Organization

Moderators: Matthias Wismar & Erica Richardson, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Health workforce shortages are a key challenge for health systems across the globe. How can we change things for the better?

This spotlight series consists of three webinars covering different health workforce challenges:

  • What are the learnings from COVID-19 for improving working conditions?
  • How do we improve the intersectoral link between education, training and health system demands?
  • Where do we find the money for smart health and care workforce investments?

We investigate key policy questions associated with protecting and investing in the health and care workforce, bringing together evidence from research and country experiences. We review the potential challenges and opportunities of health workforce strategies and consider how their unique settings influence them. We also explore the potential policy solutions and multi-sectoral partnerships required to meet ever increasing demand for health and care workers.

*The recording is available on the Health Education England seminar page