National workforce capacity for essential public health functions: Operational handbook for country-led contextualization and implementation

Overview

Achieving and sustaining national progress towards universal health coverage, health security and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals necessitates a workforce that can deliver the full range of both the essential health services and the essential public health functions, including emergency preparedness and response. Whether dealing with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing for and preventing the next pandemic, or addressing diverse challenges (climate change, the escalating burden of noncommunicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance etc.) there are economic, health and moral imperatives to strengthen the public health workforce.

In May 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partner organizations agreed a roadmap on national workforce capacity to implement the essential public health functions. This roadmap emphasizes three interconnected action areas: defining the essential public health functions, subfunctions and services tailored to the regional, national or subnational context; strengthening competency-based education oriented towards delivering the essential public health functions; and mapping and measuring the diversity of occupations involved in delivering these functions, along with projected needs. Detailed reference tools developed for each action area comprise a unique framework of methodologies, which can be adapted to reflect different contexts, needs and priorities.

Operationalizing the roadmap’s three action areas requires the support of a broad coalition of partners and stakeholders with diverse expertise; and collective collaboration and action from governments, funders, technical partners, academic institutions including schools of public health, national public health institutes and civil society organizations.

This handbook is addressed to policy-makers, planners and educators, with the aim of supporting countries to assess their current public health workforce situation, needs and opportunities for progress across the three action areas. A list of questions is provided to guide the benchmarking process, which involves review, assessment, monitoring performance and contextualization, and how to integrate the findings with health workforce, health systems and health security policies and planning.

This document belongs to the National Workforce Capacity for Essential Public Health Functions Collection, which includes an operational handbook and guidance on functions, competency-based education and workforce enumeration. We extend our appreciation and acknowledgment to all partners and individuals involved in producing this document, including the technical leads of each action area and the Public Health and Emergency Workforce Roadmap Steering Committee.