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Health systems can only function with health workers; improving health service coverage and realizing the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is dependent on their availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality.
WHO estimates a projected shortfall of 11.1 million health workers by 2030 (1), mostly in low- and lower-middle income countries. However, countries at all levels of socioeconomic development face, to varying degrees, difficulties in the education, employment, deployment, retention, and performance of their workforce.
The chronic under-investment in education and training of health workers in some countries and the mismatch between education and employment strategies in relation to health systems and population needs are contributing to continuous shortages. These are compounded by difficulties in deploying health workers to rural, remote and under-served areas. Moreover, the increasing international migration of health workers may exacerbate health workforce shortfalls, particularly in low- and lower-middle income countries.
In some countries, challenges in universal access to health workers may also result from the lack of fiscal space to absorb the supply of health workers. As a result, some countries face the paradox of health worker unemployment co-existing with major unmet health workforce needs.
The High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth found that investments in the health and social workforce can spur inclusive economic growth. The health workforce has also a vital role in building the resilience of communities and health systems and in emergency preparedness and response. Approximately 67% of the health workforce are women: investing in the health workforce is an opportunity to create decent employment opportunities, in particular for women and youth.
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External publications
Health policy and system support to optimise community health worker programmes: an abridged WHO guideline
The impact of CHWs can be maximised through the adoption of evidence-based policies that support their education, deployment, and support by health systems...
Implementing the Agenda for Global Action on human resources for health: analysis from an international...
This article presents an in-depth statistical and econometric analysis of the survey data, investigating the existence of significant relationships between...
Stakeholders’ perceptions of policy options to support the integration of community health workers in...
Community health workers (CHWs) are an important component of the health workforce in many countries. WHO has developed a guideline to support the integration...
Are the Global Strategic Directions for Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery 2016–2020 being implemented...
This paper presents a synthesis of the findings shared by Global Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in implementing...
Health workers’ education and training to prevent antimicrobial resistance
Building on the global competency framework for education and training on antimicrobial resistance, WHO has recently published a curricula guide for health...
WHO Bulletin - Developing the health workforce for universal health coverage
Optimizing the management of the health workforce is necessary for the progressive realization of universal health coverage. Here we discuss the six main...
WHO Bulletin - Financing and protection for the health and care workforce
In November 2020, the resumed Seventy-third session of the World Health Assembly designated 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers....
Estimating the health workforce requirements and costing to reach 70% COVID-19 vaccination coverage by...
The implementation of COVID-19 vaccination globally poses unprecedented stress to health systems particularly for countries with persisting health workforce...
Improving health workforce governance: the role of multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms and human...
A cohesive and strategic governance approach is needed to improve the health workforce (HW). To achieve this, the WHO Global Strategy on Human Resources...
Health workforce burnout
Increased demand for health services is putting unprecedented strain on health systems and the workers within them. Many are experiencing burn-out, depriving...
Health workforce governance for compassionate and respectful care: a framework for research, policy and...
This paper aims at exploring the health workforce policy and management levers to enable compassionate and respectful care. Through an overview of selected...
Health workforce governance for compassionate and respectful care: a framework for research, policy and...
Originated from technical cooperation activities with the Federal Ministry of Health in Ethiopia, this paper explores the health workforce policy and management...
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Normative publications
Human Resources for Health leadership and management: Prototype curriculum for an executive short course:...
This facilitator’s guide accompanies the prototype curriculum for an executive short course as part of a Human Resources for Health (HRH) curricula...
Human Resources for Health leadership and management: Prototype curriculum for an executive short course
The prototype curriculum for an executive short course is part of a Human Resources for Health (HRH) curricula package intended to recognize, formalize...
Human Resources for Health leadership and management: Glossary
A glossary of key HRH and educational terms used within the Human Resources for Health leadership and management prototype curricula package.WHO intends...
Human Resources for Health leadership and management: Prototype curriculum for a one-month course
The prototype curriculum for a one-month course is part of a Human Resources for Health (HRH) curricula package intended to recognize, formalize and build...
Additional publications
Conducting a Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health Workforce Assessment
Strengthening the capacity of community health workers to deliver care for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health
Mid-level health workers: country case studies. Annex 6: Mozambique
A global strategy on human resources for health - Health Workforce 2030
The Global Health Workforce Alliance 2013 Annual Report
Global Health Workforce Alliance 2014 Annual Report
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