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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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Development assistance for human resources for health, 1990–2020
Investing in the health workforce is key to achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. However, achieving these Goals requires addressing...
Assessing the contribution of immigrants to Canada’s nursing and health care support occupations: a multi-scalar...
The World Health Organization adopted the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health Workforce 2030 in May 2016. It sets specific milestones for improving...
Informing investment in health workforce in Bangladesh: a health labour market analysis
As the 2016 Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 (GSHRH) outlines, health systems can only function with health workforce (HWF)....
Pre-service medical education course completion and drop-out rates
The “Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030” was adopted by the 69th World Health Assembly. Among its objectives is the strengthening...
Increasing the availability of health workers in rural sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review of rural...
Rural pipeline approach has recently gain prominent recognition in improving the availability of health workers in hard-to-reach areas such as rural and...
COVID-19 and human resources for health: analysis of planning, policy responses and actions in Latin...
The COVID-19 pandemic led to worldwide health service disruptions, due mainly to insufficient staff availability. To gain insight into policy responses...
Effects of the ECHO tele-mentoring program on HIV/TB service delivery in health facilities in Zambia:...
In the quest to ensure that quality healthcare is provided to all citizens through building healthcare worker capacity and extending reach for expert services,...
Systemic structural gender discrimination and inequality in the health workforce: theoretical lenses...
This commentary brings together theory, evidence and lessons from 15 years of gender and HRH analyses conducted in health systems in six WHO regions to...
The roles and involvement of global health partners in the health workforce: an exploratory analysis
Development partners and global health initiatives are important actors in financing health systems in many countries. Despite the importance of the health...
Can human resources for health in the context of noncommunicable disease control be a lever for health...
Major global shifts are shaping health priorities in the wake of new challenges and emerging opportunities. While reaffirming a commitment to accelerate...
A comprehensive health labour market framework for universal health coverage
In many developed and developing countries, progress towards attaining UHC is hindered by the lack of a health workforce large enough and with the proper...
Leveraging information technology to bridge the health workforce gap
According to some estimates, the world needs more than 4 million additional physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, midwives, community...
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Normative publications
Integrating the social determinants of health into health workforce education and training
Social inequalities are perpetuating unhealthy living and working conditions and behaviours. These causes are commonly called ‘the social determinants...
The availability of competent, well supported and motivated health workers is critical to the adequate functioning of any health system. Concurrently,...
Digitalized health workforce education: an elicitation of research gaps and selection of case studies
The third goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda aims to ensure that everyone has access to good health and well-being by 2030. To achieve...
Self-care competency framework - volume 1: global competency standards for health and care workers to...
These standards (Volume 1) define 10 key competencies for health and care workers to support self-care in their clinical practice as well as the specific,...
Additional publications
Joint Statement of the International Year of Health and Care Workers Steering Committee
Private Recruitment Agencies Reporting Instrument 2021 - Background
Independent Stakeholders Reporting Instrument 2021 - Background
WHO Global Code of Practice: National Reporting Instrument 2021
Scaling Up and Strengthening Community Health Worker Initiatives
Annex 2- Retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas: a systematic review
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