Caring for those who care: safeguarding the health, safety and well-being of health workers

Garden Room U1 

Convened by WHO in collaboration with the International Labour Organization, the African Union Development Agency, and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health

The health and care sector, responsible for restoring, protecting, and promoting health and social wellbeing, is also one of the most hazardous sectors for its own workers. Health and care workers face various biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards, including violence. So far, only one-third of countries have national policy instruments to protect the health, safety and well-being of health and care workers. In many countries, particularly those with shortages of human resources for health, national policies and regulations for occupational health and safety and social protection of victims of employment injuries do not apply to health services. Poor working conditions are among the main reasons of attrition and strikes among health and care workers. Ensuring healthy and safe working conditions in healthcare facilities is essential for the quality and safety of care and for decent work. This session aims to highlight solutions for safeguarding health, safety, and wellbeing of health and care workers during COVID-19 recovery. It will include short presentations on improving occupational health and safety management in the health sector, the labour rights of health and care workers, the provision of occupational health services in healthcare facilities, the role of research and international collaboration for improving working conditions in the health and care sector, illustrated by experiences from Tanzania and Ghana. The presentations will be followed by a discussion with participants to discern innovative levers, game changers and solutions for stimulating policies, investments and partnerships in the protection of health, safety and well-being of health workers.

COVID-19 impacts on the health workforce past, present and future

Garden Room T 

The influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health workforce and service provision continues to make itself felt. Starting with a brief presentation of a WHPA-WHO report on evidence collected by WHPA organizations on the impacts of Covid on their members during the pandemic, this session will give a balanced view, discussing positive learnings but also what has not changed or has worsened. Focusing on three key Covid impacts, WHPA speakers will share which policies and tools the WHPA is advocating for in this post-pandemic context.

1. The need for mental health support for health professionals was highlighted by the pandemic. Where is that need being responded to in a positive way? What gaps remain, and how does the WHPA’s Positive Practice Environments campaign respond to this? (ICN, WMA)

2. Increased demand for health services: long Covid is increasing the demand for physiotherapy, and interruptions to essential health care during the pandemic have provoked considerable backlogs. What learnings from the pandemic can be applied here, especially where there are already critical staff shortages and poor working conditions? (WPT and others)

3. Scope of practice: Some health professions’ scope of practice changed during Covid, such as the increased role of community pharmacies, and to a lesser extent dentists, for vaccinations and to disseminate reliable health information. What are the lessons learned around this and how does this relate to the drive towards UHC, particularly in light of the High-Level Meeting on UHC at the UNGA in September? (FIP, FDI)

Managing health workforce migration: lessons learned from policy, bilateral agreement and diaspora engagement

Garden Room X 

The need to recruit, develop, train, and retain health workers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is essential to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), while also preserving the notion of people-centred and integrated health services. Despite strong efforts, challenges remain when it comes to addressing the global HWF crisis, shortage, skill-mix imbalance, geographical misdistribution, migration, and retention. The session will allow key stakeholders involved in the development, endorsement, implementation of HWF migration management to share their experiences, and how adopting an interdisciplinary approach led to the successful implementation and effective cooperation between education, health, trade, and employment in collaboration with governments, UN agencies and professional associations. The session will shed light on three main domains in managing HWF migration:

1. HWF Migration management policy examines policy solution for HWF migration showcasing the Sudan first national migration management policy in the EMR. Furthermore, draw on Sudan-Ireland portfolio a government‐led multisectoral partnership focusing on the three-pronged strategy: targeted retention, bilateral agreements with destination countries, and mobilising the diaspora to support health care and training in Sudan.

2. HWF Bilateral agreements provide insight on implementation of bilateral agreements to address HWF challenges and advance health systems. It will highlight the different bilateral agreements forged by Ireland with several countries in the middle east and Africa, while comparing the main achievements and lessons learned.

3. HWF Diaspora engagement share evidence and experiences on effective diaspora engagement programs showcasing different models of diaspora engagements from the IOM perspective, analysing the current context in the region and sharing information about the main projects, lessons, and prospects.

Health supply chain cadres, the missing link to achieving universal health coverage

Supply chain (SC) professionals are fundamental to a functioning health system, but all too often lack the appropriate skills, training, or empowerment. Insight from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has also indicated that the lack of professional supply chain occupations limits the effectiveness of supply chain investments and prevents health systems from achieving their potential. The WHO “Road Map for Access to Medicines, Vaccines and Health Products 2019-2023” highlights the need for a workforce that is fit-for-purpose in key areas such as procurement and SC management.

For the SC workforce to become fit-for-purpose, it needs to become professionalised. This means transforming supply chain management (SCM) into a recognised profession of the highest integrity. It is professionalisation that is fundamental to both building a fit-for-purpose supply chain workforce and to achieving UHC.

To better equip and prepare the health SC workforce, People that Deliver (PtD) has developed the SCM professionalisation framework: the first set of global standards that align career path, education, and professional growth in health supply chain management.

This session will reflect on the implementation of the SCM professionalisation framework in Nigeria and Rwanda, explore the added value of the framework and consider the lessons learned from its implementation. Participants can expect to learn how to strengthen the skills, training, and empowerment of SC professionals, improve SC organisational design and strength and support the professionalisation of health SC management in their own contexts.

EN: Roundtable on COVID-19: Lessons learned and future workforce development

This roundtable will reflect on lessons learned and opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. It will consider the workforce solutions to protect and safeguard the health and care workforce, and how best to strengthen a health system for universal health coverage and deliver on the essential public health functions. Central to the dialogue will be the impact of political leadership and the sustainability of solutions emerging from the pandemic.

FR: Table ronde sur la COVID-19 : Bilan et perspectives futures pour les personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne

Cette table ronde portera sur les enseignements tirés de la pandémie de COVID-19 et les possibilités qui en découlent. Il y sera question des solutions à envisager pour protéger et sauvegarder les personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne, et des moyens les plus efficaces pour renforcer le système de santé dans l’optique de la couverture sanitaire universelle et assurer les fonctions de santé publique essentielles. L’impact du leadership politique et la viabilité des solutions découlant de la pandémie seront au cœur du dialogue.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre la COVID-19: Enseñanzas extraídas y desarrollo de la fuerza de trabajo del futuro 

Los participantes en esta mesa redonda reflexionarán acerca de las enseñanzas extraídas y las oportunidades derivadas de la pandemia de COVID-19. Se examinarán, desde el punto de vista de la fuerza de trabajo, las soluciones para proteger y salvaguardar a los trabajadores de la salud y asistenciales , y la mejor manera de fortalecer un sistema de salud en aras de la cobertura sanitaria universal y de cumplir con las funciones esenciales de salud pública. Un elemento central del debate serán las consecuencias del liderazgo político y la sostenibilidad de las soluciones surgidas de la pandemia.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre a COVID-19: lições aprendidas e desenvolvimento da futura força de trabalho 

Esta mesa-redonda irá debruçar-se sobre as lições aprendidas e as oportunidades que surgiram com a pandemia da COVID-19. Refletirá também sobre as soluções a encontrar para proteger e salvaguardar a força de trabalho da saúde e dos cuidados e sobre a melhor forma de reforçar os sistemas de saúde, com vista à cobertura universal de saúde, e de cumprir as funções essenciais no domínio da saúde pública. No centro do debate estará o impacto da liderança política e a sustentabilidade das soluções que surgiram com a pandemia.

RU: Круглый стол «COVID-19: уроки пандемии и перспективы развития трудовых ресурсов» 

Круглый стол будет посвящен осмыслению уроков пандемии COVID-19 и связанных с этим возможностей. На нем будут рассмотрены механизмы защиты и обеспечения интересов медико-санитарных и социальных работников, а также наиболее эффективные стратегии укрепления систем здравоохранения для достижения всеобщего охвата услугами здравоохранения и осуществления основных медико-санитарных функций. Основное внимание в ходе диалога будет уделено таким вопросам, как роль политического лидерства и долгосрочная устойчивость решений, вырабатываемых с учетом уроков пандемии.

CH: 2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）圆桌会议：所获经验教训和未来人力发展

本次圆桌会议将探讨从COVID-19大流行中汲取的经验教训和带来的机遇。会议将讨论保护和保障卫生和照护人员队伍的解决方案，以及如何最好地加强卫生系统，实现全民健康覆盖，并履行基本公共卫生职能。对话的核心将是政治领导力的影响和大流行期间涌现出来解决方案的可持续性。

AR: 

مائدة مستديرة بشأن كوفيد-19: الدروس المستفادة وتطوير القوى العاملة في المستقبل

ستنظر هذه المائدة المستديرة في الدروس المستفادة من جائحة كوفيد-19 والفرص الناشئة عنها. وستبحث الحلول الممكنة لحماية القوى العاملة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية وصونها، وأفضل السبل لتعزيز النظم الصحية من أجل تحقيق التغطية الصحية الشاملة والاضطلاع بالوظائف الأساسية للصحة العامة. وسينصب تركيز الحوار على أثر القيادة السياسية واستدامة الحلول الناشئة عن الجائحة. 

Interpretation available for: AR | CH | EN | FR | PT | RU | SP

International platform on health worker mobility

Auditorium 

COVID-19 Pandemic has exposed national health workforce challenges across all economies, increasing the international demand for health workers and exacerbating the shortage in countries with low human resources for health. This special session with members states will reflect on the necessity and application of The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel to promote ethical international recruitment and migration of health and care workers to minimize the negative consequences for the developing countries. Member States will discuss their country experiences on international health worker mobility and share their national policies and practices to promote ethical recruitment, orderly migration, international collaboration for health workforce development and retention. The side event will allow Member States to share the challenges and strategies on linking international health worker migration with health system strengthening. .

Health workforce response during COVID-19: impacts, challenges and opportunities

Garden Room T 

More than three years since the appearance of COVID-19, health systems are still facing the triple challenge of continuing to respond to spikes in cases, sustaining roll-out and uptake of vaccination, and restoring access to essential health services, following widespread disruptions during the pandemic.

The health and care workforce, while a cornerstone of the pandemic response, was also one of its most vulnerable elements: disproportionately affected by the risk of infections and deaths particularly during the first wave, when availability of personal protective equipment and adoption of appropriate Infection prevention and control practices was uneven, health and care workers also saw excessive workloads and stressful working conditions resulting in burn-out, increased prevalence of anxiety, depression and insomnia, and general dissatisfaction with working conditions, resulting in increased attrition, and an unprecedented level of protests, strikes and other industrial actions.

In response, countries and employers adopted a wide range of policy and management responses, including dedicated focus on improving working and living conditions for health workers; strategies to enable the mobilization of a surge workforce through additional training, redeployment, regulatory flexibilities, and additional hiring; and broader support through related systems interventions, through financing, regulation and data systems.

This session will reflect on the impacts of the pandemic on health and care workers, the diversity of approaches adopted, the evidence on policy and management interventions, and opportunities to turn the challenges posed by the pandemic into opportunities to enhance resilience and to sustainably strengthen the health and care workforce.

Protecting the rights of health and care workers in times of pandemics and beyond: how to move from technical guidance to effective regulation?

Garden Room U1 

How must we protect health and care workers every day and in health emergencies, in a situation of chronic scarcity of skilled people who care for us and risk their lives for doing so?

The negotiation of a “WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response” by an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) provides an opportunity for defining new international legal norms. The protection and promotion of the rights of health and care workers are indeed addressed in Article 12 of the zero draft: “Each Party shall take the necessary steps to safeguard, protect, invest in and sustain a skilled, trained, competent and committed health and care workforce, at all levels, in a gender-responsive manner, with due protection of its employment, civil and human rights and well-being, consistent with international obligations and relevant codes of practice.”

But what difference would this section of the “pandemic treaty” make for the protection and promotion of the rights of health and care workers at national level, and in different settings? What will change for health and care workers in real life, and during a health emergency, if the proposed governments’ obligations are “subject to national law”? And how would the new instrument fit with existing international law and human rights obligations? This session provides policy makers and others interested with a timely opportunity to share and deepen assessments of the “Zero draft” and to strategize within and beyond the INB process.

Optimal skill-mix for an equipped health workforce to deliver for tomorrow’s health needs

Garden Room X 

This session will explore ways to optimize health worker performance by effectuating a more sustainable and effective skill-mix to ultimately accelerate progress towards UHC and the SDGs.

Optimizing skill-mix composition and retaining health and care workers are avenues for health labor market policies to address shortages, maldistribution, working conditions and integrating health and care workforces, particularly in primary health care. This is relevant to all countries and especially to countries on the support and safeguard list, as the projections show a disproportionately impact of health workforce shortages for 2030 in those countries.

Of particular potential is optimizing of the contributions of nurses and midwives in interdisciplinary primary health care teams. With effective planning, they can provide a diverse and sustainable skills-mix geared to primary health care and supported by health professional regulations and policies.

The main objective of the session is to share concrete examples of how countries can generate a more sustainable and responsive skill-mix within the health and care workforces, harnessing opportunities from education and deployment, and applying those in resource-constrained settings.

The learning objectives of the session are:

• Convey the importance and share examples of interdisciplinary and intersectoral approaches for skill-mix optimization
• Take stock post-COVID-19 in redesigning service provision as an essential element to expanding care. 

The expected outcome:

• Strategic immediate and long-term actions that can be taken to continually optimize and modify future skills mix

The intended participants are stakeholders from education, labour and health sectors with interest in skill-mix innovation and learning from country experiences.

Interpretation available for: RU

The toll of violence against health on the health workforce: characteristics, impacts and responses

M-Building M505 

Violence against healthcare is a global problem, especially in armed conflict and other situations of violence, including political unrest. Health facilities, transport, and personnel continue to be bombed, shelled, and destroyed, while health workers and patients are threatened, assaulted, intimidated, arrested, tortured, and killed in dozens of armed conflict situations on virtually every continent. Attacks on healthcare have been reported at alarming levels over the past two decades, with repeated violations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, and, most recently, Ukraine. The impact on health systems and particularly the toll this takes on health workers is devastating. Health workers in conflict-affected areas have reported feelings of moral injury, exhaustion, and hopelessness in interviews and other reports. This session aims to focus on the complicated impacts of violence against healthcare for the health workforce. We will host a roundtable discussion to present new findings on the overlapping and complex impacts of such violence-- on the personal, professional, social, familial, educational and other dimensions of the health workforce and potential avenues of redress. We welcome interventions from the audience to give insight into their own experiences, from conflict settings, to pandemic related tensions and interpersonal violence. Together, we aim to gain a better understanding of the individual, organizational and systems level approaches to mitigate these impacts and support health workers.

EN: Roundtable on protecting and investing in the youth and early career workforce  

Youth and early career professionals constitute approximately one third of the total health and care workforce and will be a growing share in the future. Making careers attractive, with appropriate renumeration and free from discrimination, bias and harassment, will support the scale-up of education and jobs. This roundtable will consider what actions can address student debt, decent working conditions, career opportunities, and how governments can engage youth and early career professionals in policy dialogue and decision making.

FR: Table ronde sur la protection des jeunes et des professionnels en début de carrière et les investissements en leur faveur

Les jeunes et les professionnels en début de carrière représentent environ un tiers des personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne, proportion qui va aller croissant. En rendant les carrières attrayantes, grâce à une rémunération suffisante et à l’absence de discrimination, de préjugés et de harcèlement, on contribuera à développer la formation et à augmenter le nombre d’emplois. Cette table ronde portera sur les mesures à prendre pour lutter contre l’endettement des étudiants, garantir des conditions de travail décentes et offrir des possibilités de carrière, et sur la façon dont les pouvoirs publics peuvent associer les jeunes et les professionnels en début de carrière au dialogue sur la politique générale et à la prise de décisions.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre protección e inversión en relación con el personal joven y el que está en una etapa temprana de su carrera

Los profesionales jóvenes y los que están en una etapa temprana de su carrera representan aproximadamente un tercio de todos los trabajadores de la salud y asistenciales, proporción que irá en aumento en el futuro. Hacer que la profesión sea atractiva y esté adecuadamente remunerada y libre de discriminación, prejuicios y acoso contribuirá a ampliar las oportunidades educativas y laborales. En esta mesa redonda se examinará qué medidas pueden abordar cuestiones como las deudas estudiantiles, unas condiciones de trabajo decentes y las oportunidades de ascenso, así como de qué manera pueden implicar los gobiernos a los profesionales jóvenes y a los que se encuentran en una etapa temprana de su carrera en el diálogo sobre políticas y en la adopción de decisiones.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre proteção e investimento na força de trabalho jovem e em início de carreira 

Os profissionais jovens e os profissionais em início de carreira constituem, aproximadamente, um terço do total da força de trabalho da saúde e dos cuidados, prevendo-se que essa parcela venha a crescer no futuro. Tornar as carreiras atrativas, com remuneração adequada e sem discriminações, parcialidade e assédio, contribuirá para uma melhor educação e mais empregos. Esta mesa-redonda discutirá que ações poderão atender à questão dos empréstimos aos estudantes, condições de trabalho condignas, oportunidades de carreira e o modo como os governos poderão envolver os profissionais jovens e em início de carreira no diálogo político e no processo de tomada de decisões.

RU: Круглый стол «Меры защиты молодых и начинающих карьеру работников и инвестиции в их профессиональное развитие»

Молодые и начинающие карьеру специалисты составляют примерно треть от общей численности медико-социальных работников, и в дальнейшем их доля будет возрастать. Создание привлекательных карьерных перспектив при надлежащей оплате труда и отсутствии дискриминации, предвзятого отношения и притеснений будет способствовать расширению масштабов подготовки и трудоустройства. В ходе круглого стола будут рассмотрены меры, позволяющие снизить долговую нагрузку на выпускников вузов и создать для них достойные условия труда и карьерные возможности, а также роль государственных органов в привлечении молодежи и начинающих карьеру специалистов к диалогу по вопросам политики и принятию решений.

CH: 对于青年和处于初期职业生涯的人力进行保护与投资圆桌会议

青年和处于初期职业生涯的专业人员约占卫生和照护人员总数的三分之一，今后所占比例会越来越大。为了使职业具有吸引力，具有合理报酬、免除歧视、偏见和骚扰，将有助于扩大教育和就业。本次圆桌会议将讨论要采取哪些行动才能解决学生债务、体面工作条件、职业机会等问题，以及政府如何让青年和处于初期职业生涯专业人员参与政策对话和决策。

AR:

مائدة مستديرة بشأن حماية القوى العاملة من الشباب وممّن هم في مقتبل مسارهم المهني والاستثمار فيها

يشكّل المهنيون الشباب وممّن هم في مقتبل مسارهم المهني نحو ثلث إجمالي القوى العاملة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية، وستزداد النسبة التي سيمثلونها في المستقبل. وسيساهم إضفاء الجاذبية على الوظائف، بالاقتران مع دفع أجور مناسبة وخلو بيئة العمل من التمييز والتحيز والمضايقة، في دعم توسيع نطاق التعليم والوظائف. وستنظر هذه المائدة المستديرة في الإجراءات التي يمكن أن تعالج مسألة ديون الطلاب، وظروف العمل اللائقة، والفرص المهنية، والسبل التي يمكن بها للحكومات إشراك المهنيين الشباب وممّن هم في مقتبل مسارهم المهني في حوار .السياسات وعملية اتخاذ القرار

Empowering the global workforce for inter-sectoral pandemic preparedness and response through inclusive and integrative One Health initiatives

Garden Room U1 

Evolving conditions at the human–animal–environment interface accelerate the emergence of zoonotic diseases. An estimated 60% of infectious diseases in humans have proven to be originated from animals. One Health (OH) is a collaborative, integrated approach aimed at sustainably balancing and optimizing the health of people, animals and ecosystems. Effective implementation of the OH approach requires a qualified workforce representing multiple disciplines and sectors. Competency-based OH training necessitates the development of flexible and interoperable educational, training, and implementation approaches to integrate OH concepts and competencies into pre-service and in-service training processes. Multiple international initiatives as well as regional and national partnerships (for example: FETP, FETPV, ISAVET, FTP-WEBE) aimed at developing and scaling-up competent OH experts have been initiated during the past 10-15 years. Yet, the lack of effective coordination mechanisms among them limits their overall effectiveness and efficiency. This session focuses on strengthening the coordination mechanisms among key stakeholders engaged in OH capacity building. As such, it aims to support the implementation of the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 (WHO 2016) and Partner’s Roadmap on National Workforce Capacity to Implement the Essential Public Health Functions Including a Focus on Emergency Preparedness and Response and OH workforce (WHO, 2022). Discussion will focus on successes and lessons learned, as well as coordination challenges aimed at exploring practical solutions. The expected outcomes are to learn more about and strengthen coordination among new sectoral workforce development initiatives, sharing evidence of best practices and policies for OH workforce development.

Unpacking contemporary global trends in health worker protests and strikes in the COVID-19 era

Garden Room T 

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed an unprecedented increase in health worker protests and strikes, reflecting both the enormous strain that the pandemic has placed on health workers, as well as the presence of longstanding concerns about working conditions and remuneration. This increase parallels a longer-term rise in health worker protests and strikes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over the last several years. Health worker protests are often manifestations of more systemic challenges in terms of under-investment in health systems, poor working conditions and social marginalization, particularly in terms of occupational hierarchy, gender, caste and other factors. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored and amplified these concerns, resulting in a growing workforce crisis fueled by discontent, burnout and attrition Research, analysis and perspectives on health worker protests provide a lens into understanding the drivers of health worker discontent and the specific ways in which health systems can better support and invest in the health workforce. Despite their salience, research on health worker protest and strikes remains surprisingly limited. This interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder panel will present leading-edge research on the interactions between health workers, protests, politics and health system governance, insights that can contribute to addressing the growing health workforce crisis. Presentations include analyses on global trends in health worker protests and strikes from 2018 to 2022, evidence from Pakistan and the United States regarding protest action by community health workers and nurses respectively, and the introduction of a framework centering health worker needs and concerns in current conceptualizations of the health workforce.

EN: Human resources for health policy development: from evidence and dialogue to implementation for action 

Garden Room X 

SP: Desarrollo de política en recursos humanos para la salud de la evidencia y el diálogo a la implementación para la acción

EN: Roundtable on civil society’s leadership on the path to 2030 

This roundtable will share the unique role of civil society, working together with national governments, to support the achievement of the national vision for UHC. It will present actions from civil society organizations to take forward the health and care workforce agenda and will reach consensus on key messages that will inform the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Meetings on Universal Health Coverage and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in September 2023.

FR: Table ronde sur le leadership de la société civile à l’horizon 2030

Cette table ronde portera sur la contribution unique que la société civile peut apporter, en collaboration avec les gouvernements nationaux, à la réalisation du projet national de couverture sanitaire universelle. Les participants présenteront les actions menées par les organisations de la société civile pour avancer sur les questions de personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne et chercheront un consensus sur les messages clés qui éclaireront les réunions de haut niveau de l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies qui seront organisées en septembre 2023 sur la couverture sanitaire universelle et sur la prévention, la préparation et la riposte face aux pandémies.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre el liderazgo de la sociedad civil en el camino hacia 2030

Esta mesa redonda se centrará en el papel singular de la sociedad civil, en colaboración con los gobiernos nacionales, para apoyar la consecución de la visión nacional en materia de cobertura sanitaria universal. Se presentarán medidas de organizaciones de la sociedad civil para impulsar el programa relativo a los trabajadores de la salud y asistenciales, y se llegará a un consenso sobre los principales mensajes que orientarán las reuniones de alto nivel de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas sobre cobertura sanitaria universal y sobre prevención, preparación y respuesta ante pandemias, que se celebrarán en septiembre de 2023.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre a liderança da sociedade civil rumo a 2030

Esta mesa-redonda discutirá o papel singular da sociedade civil, trabalhando em conjunto com os governos nacionais, no apoio à realização da visão nacional para a CUS. Apresentará as medidas a tomar pelas organizações da sociedade civil para fazer avançar a agenda da força de trabalho da saúde e dos cuidados e chegará a um consenso sobre as principais mensagens que informarão as Reuniões de Alto Nível da Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas sobre Cobertura Universal de Saúde e Prevenção, Preparação e Resposta às Pandemias, em Setembro de 2023.

RU: Круглый стол «Ведущая роль гражданского общества на пути к 2030 г.» 

Темой круглого стола является уникальный вклад гражданского общества в достижение целей стран по обеспечению ВОУЗ во взаимодействии с национальными органами власти. На нем будут представлены действия организаций гражданского общества по выполнению актуальных задач в области развития трудовых ресурсов здравоохранения и социальной сферы и согласованы основные выводы, которые будут учтены при подготовке к намеченным на сентябрь 2023 г. совещаниям высокого уровня Генеральной Ассамблеи Организации Объединенных Наций по вопросу о всеобщем охвате услугами здравоохранения и по предотвращению пандемий, обеспечению готовности к ним и реагированию на них.

CH: 民间社会在迈向2030年之路的领导作用圆桌会议

本次圆桌会议将分享民间社会与各国政府通力合作，为支持实现全民健康覆盖的国家愿景而发挥的独特作用。会议将介绍民间社会组织机构为推进卫生和照护人员队伍议程而采取的行动，并将就关键信息达成共识，为2023年9月联合国大会全民健康覆盖和大流行预防、防范和应对问题高级别会议提供信息。

AR:

مائدة مستديرة بشأن الدور القيادي للمجتمع المدني في المسار حتى عام 2030

ستتناول هذه المائدة المستديرة الدور الفريد الذي يضطلع به المجتمع المدني، بالتعاون مع الحكومات الوطنية، لدعم تحقيق الرؤية الوطنية للتغطية الصحية الشاملة. وستعرض الإجراءات التي تتخذها منظمات المجتمع المدني للمضي قدماً في تنفيذ خطة القوى العاملة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية وستتوصل إلى توافق في الآراء بشأن الرسائل الرئيسية التي سيُسترشد بها في الاجتماعات الرفيعة المستوى للجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة بشأن التغطية الصحية الشاملة والوقاية من الجوائح والتأهب والاستجابة لها، التي ستعقد في أيلول/سبتمبر 2023.  

Health and care workforce in Europe: time to act

Garden Room X 

The session will focus on the progress around health workforce priorities in the WHO European Region. It will be opened by Regional Director, Dr Hans Kluge followed by an overview of key challenges and actions to strengthen health workforce in the WHO European Region. The presentations will be based on the findings of the report “Health and care workforce in Europe: time to act” and the outcomes of the High-level Regional Meeting on Health and Care Workforce in Europe: time to act held in Bucharest on 22-23 March, 2023 resulting in the adoption of the Bucharest Declaration on Health and Care workforce. The declaration provides the technical foundation for the high-level political commitment through the adoption of the WHO Europe Framework for Action on Health and Care Workforce at the upcoming WHO Europe Regional Committee meeting in October 2023. The session will include a panel discussion with ministerial representation where ministers and other panelists will be asked to share reflections of their national context in relation to the key themes and messages emerging from the report and Bucharest meeting. 

Interpretation available for: RU

Overcoming health labour market failures in Africa through health labour market analyses

Garden Room T 

Introduction: Despite adding a million health workers between 2013 and 2018, Africa faces various health labour market failures. Recent estimates warn of a risk of a 5.3 million shortage of health workers and a paradox of high (approximately 30%) unemployment/underemployment due to a 43% public sector funding gap. The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated health worker mobility with adverse consequences for the labour market in Africa. Better insights into the nature, extent and causes of the challenges and workable policy actions can be derived from a systematic and comprehensive Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA). In this session, selected countries will share their experiences using evidence from health labour market analysis to inform Government interventions in response to various health labour market mismatches.

The global shortage of health and care workers by 2030 as a barrier to universal health coverage and health security - ON-SITE ONLY

Auditorium 

This special session will highlight the global health and care workforce shortage by 2030 and the key factors which countries need to consider while planning for their future workforce needs: health labor market needs, education needs, need to address mismatches between workforce supply and demand and the need to support the creation and filling of funded positions in the health sector and the health economy. Country representatives from AFRO, EURO and WPRO will share their national experiences, challenges and solutions for their national health and care workforce. An open dialogue will follow with the other members states present in the session.

The private-public mix of primary care providers:  implications for the health and care workforce

Garden Room U1 

Rural pathways: advancing equitable access to health workers in rural and remote areas

Garden Room X 

Health workforce shortages are often felt more acutely in remote and rural areas where, in general, health workforce densities are lower and populations poorer. Rural health workers play a central role in policies for the attainment of universal health coverage and sustainable and inclusive development. The WHO Guideline on health workforce development, attraction, recruitment, and retention in rural and remote areas offers support national authorities in their efforts to improve health outcomes by strengthening the density and capacity of the health workforce in rural and remote areas. While most of the policy options presented in the WHO guideline are viewed by stakeholders as both feasible and acceptable there has been a clear call for guidance on implementation, particularly around education (Ajuebor, 2020).

The rural pathway approach heeds this call. As the concept of a rural pathway is gaining recognition among policy makers all around the world, as exemplified by the intersectoral ministerial call for a rural pipeline strategy by countries in the West African Economic and Monetary Union, it becomes increasingly important to have a dialogue based on country to country learning and lessons learned.

This session will be instrumental to link discuss and exchange on the latest, challenges and lessons learned from rural pathway approach and its contribution in improving access to health services in rural and remote areas. Latest evidence and firsthand experiences will be presented and discussed.

Two innovative approaches to scaling-up the health workforce:  comparative case studies from Ireland and Africa

M-Building M505 

Growth in the demand for healthcare services, as populations expand and age, as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on health and healthcare sectors worldwide, require governments to invest in more affordable, feasible and sustainable models for scaling their health workforces to meet these needs, especially for reaching underserved populations.

This session – comprising panel presentations, group work and interactive Q&A – will use examples from Ireland and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to explore the evidence and experiences from establishing two innovative health workforce models to address these challenges: (i) decentralised models of education for expanding the skills and roles of existing health professionals; and (ii) establishing new health workforce cadres, to whom basic and essential clinical skills can be task-shared, having traditionally been undertaken by health professionals whose training is longer and more expensive.

Such health workforce solutions can widen the workforce skills-base; increase the size of the health workforce; help retain valuable skills within health systems; and expand the range and availability of essential health services for individual and societal gain.

The session will draw on the experiences of practitioners from the fields of Nursing and Midwifery, Physician Associates and non-physician clinician surgeons; and senior Irish and African health planners. By comparing different healthcare systems, from Africa and Ireland, that have adopted these two workforce solutions, the session will aim to elucidate context specific and generalisable lessons, including obstacles and enablers, drawing on the participants. 

 Practical solutions on staff retention

Garden Room T 

Equitable distribution of human resources for health (HRH) is paramount to meet health needs of the population. Health workforce shortage is a main concern worldwide: geographical gaps, inadequate distribution and migration impact the access to essential health services, especially in remote and rural areas and prevent the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

This session will focus on the challenges of HRH retention and will provide concrete and creative solutions that hospitals and health systems have been developing to retain their workforce.

Panellists from Australia, Colombia, France, and Tanzania will share practical examples of how organizations are facing the challenge of healthcare workforce retention (e.g., consequences of staff shortages on hospital services; how public hospitals in France are leading with the challenges of attractiveness and loyalty of caregivers; how organizational culture is used to attract and retain talent; how to deal with brain drain; how to build back better).

EN: Roundtable on education and employment in the health and care sector

This roundtable will reflect on market failures in education and employment. It will consider how best to work across sectors to educate, employ and retain a sustainable health and care workforce that delivers on the ambitions of universal health coverage, health security and the Sustainable Development Goals. It will also consider those actions that political leadership can take to accelerate supply, improve quality and ensure equitable distribution of the health and care workforce.

FR: Table ronde sur l’éducation et l’emploi dans le secteur de la santé et de l’aide à la personne

Cette table ronde portera sur les défaillances du marché dans les domaines de l’éducation et de l’emploi. Les participants étudieront la meilleure façon d’agir dans tous les secteurs pour former, employer et maintenir en poste, dans une perspective durable, des personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne qui réalisent les ambitions de la couverture sanitaire universelle, de la sécurité sanitaire et des objectifs de développement durable. Les mesures que les dirigeants politiques peuvent prendre pour augmenter l’offre de personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne, faire en sorte qu’ils soient plus compétents et répartis équitablement seront également étudiées.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre educación y empleo en el sector de la salud y asistencial

Esta mesa redonda abordará los fallos del mercado en materia de educación y empleo. Se examinará la mejor manera de trabajar a escala intersectorial para formar, emplear y retener a un trabajador de la salud y asistencial sostenible que trabaje para llevar a término las ambiciones de la cobertura sanitaria universal, la seguridad sanitaria y los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. También se analizarán las medidas que los líderes políticos pueden adoptar para acelerar la oferta, mejorar la calidad y garantizar una distribución equitativa de los trabajadores de la salud y asistenciales.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre educação e emprego no sector da saúde e dos cuidados

Esta mesa-redonda discutirá as lacunas do mercado no domínio da educação e emprego. Será debatida a melhor forma de trabalhar em todos os sectores para educar, empregar e reter uma força de trabalho sustentável na área da saúde e dos cuidados que responda às ambições da cobertura universal de saúde, à segurança na saúde e aos Objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Serão igualmente debatidas as medidas que as lideranças políticas poderão tomar para aumentar a oferta, melhorar a qualidade e assegurar a distribuição equitativa da força de trabalho da saúde e dos cuidados.

RU: Круглый стол «Образование и занятость в секторе здравоохранения и социальной сфере»

Круглый стол посвящен недостаткам рыночных механизмов в сферах образования и занятости. На нем будут рассмотрены наиболее эффективные способы межсекторального взаимодействия, обеспечивающие подготовку, трудоустройство и удержание стабильного контингента медицинских и социальных работников, способного выполнять масштабные задачи по достижению всеобщего охвата услугами здравоохранения, санитарно-эпидемиологической безопасности и целей в области устойчивого развития. Будут также обсуждены меры, при помощи которых политическое руководство может ускорить решение задач по подготовке, повышению квалификации и более сбалансированному распределению трудовых ресурсов здравоохранения и социальной сферы.

CH: 在卫生和照护行业的教育与就业圆桌会议

本次圆桌会议将探讨教育与就业方面的市场失灵问题。会议将讨论如何最好地开展跨部门工作，教育、雇用和留住一支可持续的卫生和照护人员队伍，以实现全民健康覆盖、卫生安全和可持续发展目标的宏伟追求。会议还将讨论政治领导人可采取哪些行动，来加快卫生和照护人员队伍的培养提供、提高素质并确保公平分配。

AR:

مائدة مستديرة بشأن التعليم والعمالة في قطاعي الصحة والرعاية

ستتناول هذه المائدة المستديرة مواطن الخلل في السوق من حيث التعليم والتوظيف. وستنظر في أفضل السبل للعمل المشترك بين القطاعات من أجل تعليم وتوظيف واستبقاء قوى عاملة مستدامة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية تستجيب لطموحات تحقيق التغطية الصحية الشاملة والأمن الصحي وأهداف التنمية المستدامة. وستنظر أيضا في الإجراءات التي يمكن أن تتخذها القيادة السياسية لتسريع إتاحة  القوى العاملة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية وتحسين جودتها وضمان توزيعها المنصف. 

Action agenda for small islands and developing states (SIDS) - Auditorium

Chronic underinvestment, the impact of COVID-19, and post-pandemic economic decline have magnified the fragility of sustained health and care worker supply, development and retention in many small islands and developing states, especially through the rise in outmigration of qualified nurses and midwives towards high-income countries. Without targeted multisectoral investment, partnership and collaboration between SIDS and implementing partners, hard-fought gains in delivering essential health services, and improving access and public health protections for at-risk populations will be reversed.
This special session will draw on innovative approaches and collaboration adopted by SIDS and WHO for scaling up efforts to respond to the unique workforce needs and challenges faced. An important element of this discussion will be how collectively SIDS can advance lessons learned and promote long-term solutions to the challenges posed in terms of policy development, managing workforce migration, developing education and skills, and improving retention and utilization. It will reflect on the extent that evidence-based interventions are informing what works in the specific context of SIDS and on how to leverage the political, technical, and financial support needed for these. The session will propose strategic actions to be taken to reduce the health and care workforce shortfalls in SIDS by 2030, aligned with relevant workforce related strategies, frameworks, and resolutions, and will consider establishing a joint SIDS health and care workforce platform to promote and implement these. 

 Overcoming the crisis:  what more needs to be done?

Garden Room T 

Human Resources for Health: Overcoming the Crisis”, published in 2004 by the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI), The report considered that the mobilization and strengthening of human resources for health was central to combating the health crises in the world’s poorest countries and for building sustainable health systems everywhere. This led to the World Health Report 2006 which reaffirmed key policy issues on health worker shortages, skill mix imbalance, maldistribution, ageing of the workforce, poor working conditions and a call for a decade of action, including the establishment of the Global Health Workforce Alliance.

As we approach the 20 anniversary of the JLI’s publication, this session will revisit the world’s health and care workforce challenges. Adopting both retrospective and prospective approaches, Panelists will discuss whether enough progress was made since 2004, what solutions worked, what challenges remain, which have been accentuated by the impact of COVID-19, and what are the opportunities in the next 20 years? Particular attention will be paid to multi-sectoral solutions in the context of:

• the evolution of the socio-economic, demographic, and epidemiologic environment that shapes the number and profile of HCW needed.
• the evolution of the working environment and labour market dynamics in which the HCW will evolve.
• the increased complexity and rapidly evolving technology and digitalization that will influence the education and practice of HCW.

Additionally, the panel will take the opportunity of the Forum to discuss the launch of WHO’s Multi-Sectoral Advisory Group of Experts (mSAGE) on the health and care workforce. The mSAGE will be convened in 2023 as a technical advisory mechanism: tasked to provide advice and recommendations to the WHO Secretariat on global issues, challenges and multi-sectoral solutions. Its scope of work will focus on a landscape analysis to be published in 2024 (on the 20th anniversary of the JLI report) and articulate case-studies, evidence and solutions to be published as a new World Report in 2026.

Moving from intentions to transformative change: strengthening leadership and gender equality in global health and within health systems

Garden Room U1 

The Global Health Workforce Network (GHWN) Gender Equity Hub Policy Paper on Closing the Leadership Gap: Gender Equity and Leadership in the Global Health and Care Workforce draws attention to the need for leaders of all genders to promote gender-transformative policies to realize better global health.  Evidence from the 2021 Global Health 50/50 report, Gender Equality: Flying Blind in the Time of Crisis, highlights that while 79% of global health organizations commit to gender equality, only 40% of the organizations define gender in their public communications, 31% of the organizations have a CEO that is a woman, and only 26% of the organizations have a board chair that is a woman.

Global health leadership has to grapple with a workforce with pervasive gender inequalities - high levels of sexual harassment and workplace violence, poor working conditions, unequal pay, and gender segregation with many women in low-paid roles and few women in leadership roles. To address these disparities there is a pressing need for leaders at all levels of the health system to design and implement interventions and foster institutional environments in which women thrive. 

This session brings together the Africa Centres for Disease Control, Global Health 50/50, Tulane University, UNU International Institute for Global Health, and the World Health Organization. The latest evidence and the implications of the current landscape of global health leadership will be presented, coupled with a focus on the gendered realities from the perspectives of leaders at the frontlines and health care workers themselves. 

Interpretation available for: FR

How can you plan for equitable health workforce distribution using health workforce planning tools? 

Garden Room X 

Investing in health and health workers is key to achieve national health goals, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Often health planners use limited to no evidence to plan for their health workforce. Understanding health labour market needs and demands and the workload on health staff at facilities will facilitate better health workforce planning. One of the challenges is to achieve equity in access to health services and health workers in service areas and geographical areas.

Applying the results of the health workforce planning tools complemented with the implementation of the National Health Workforce Account (NHWA) to conduct a health labour market analysis (HLMA) empower policy makers with the information needed to ensure equitable distribution of existing staff, hire new staff, understand and improve skill mix to build efficient health teams as well as review and revise staffing norms.

This session covers how efficient staff distribution and allocation for effective health service delivery can be achieved through HWF planning tools such as Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) using NHWA data complemented with HLMA. Countries share their experiences, the lessons learnt from working collaboratively with all stakeholders in conducting WISN studies to determine adequate staffing for the levels of care and revise staffing norms and HLMA to assess the impact of policies, regulations, financial and non-financial incentives that determine supply and demand decisions. The session will also showcase how such planning tools have helped countries to assess health workforce requirements during health emergencies such as COVID-19 pandemic.

The education workforce pipeline: international insights from policy interventions and innovations to recruit and support under-represented groups into medicine

M-Building Room M505 

Globally, doctors are poorly distributed to meet population healthcare needs. Urban posts are generally preferred to rural ones. Some specialties are oversubscribed, while others struggle to recruit. Growing numbers of doctors are leaving clinical practice.  These issues matching medical workforce supply to healthcare need originate early, at point of selection into medical school. Medical schools privilege applicants on the basis of academic excellence, selecting those with the educational, social and cultural advantages needed to attain the necessary qualifications and navigate the complex admissions process. Herein lies the issue: those from such socio-economic backgrounds tend to seek urban, specialist practice once qualified.

In contrast, medical graduates from more diverse backgrounds are more likely to work in general practice, rural and deprived settings.  Moreover, there is evidence that better health outcomes are achieved where care is delivered by doctors who are representative of the societies they serve. Yet, despite government directives and policy interventions across the globe, those from “non-traditional”, or more diverse backgrounds continue to be under-represented in medical schools and the medical workforce.

It is critical to understand why these disparities continue to persist and to identify policy interventions that may attract and select a more diverse future global workforce. Our international panel of recognised experts comprises speakers from South East Asia, North America, Europe, Africa, and China).  Our interactive discussion will identify innovations that promote fairness in respect of making a career in medicine accessible to all and thus recruiting a workforce which is fit-for-purpose for the future.

Advancing digital health worker education beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

Garden Room U2 

Digital health workforce education (DHWE), also commonly referred to as technology enhanced learning, is simply described as the delivery of learning content or materials to health workers using digital technology. It is a very fast-evolving field that continues to witness the implementation of technology interventions and tools ahead of evidence-based research, guidance and lessons learned from real-time applications.

Although DHWE is established in several settings, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered an explosion of its growth and adoption, in the attempt to enhance and sustain remote health worker learning. Evidence is already emerging that many of these solutions were adopted on an ad hoc or impromptu basis, and as DHWE is becoming more mainstay, a significant number of these solutions have so far, not been fit-for-purpose.

This session promises an inspiring foray into the basics of DHWE, based on phenomenological experiences and concrete research evidence whilst highlighting theoretical and practical concepts that will give users a more comprehensive overview, and how best to apply DHWE. In establishing evidence-based approaches and real-life examples, the session will also discuss theory of change concepts. Together, these insights could be applied to inform decision-making by policymakers, faculty members and heads of health professions institutions, and other relevant stakeholders in line with their needs, and local capacity towards the strengthening of health workforce education.

EN: Roundtable on gender equality in the health and care workforce

This roundtable will convene panelists across health, gender and labour on how to advance gender equality in the health and care sector. Recognizing the disproportionate burden placed on women during the COVID-19 pandemic and building on seminal publications from ILO and WHO, the panel will consider the value women contribute to the health and care economy and which actions are required to eliminate pervasive gender gaps on pay, working conditions and leadership.

FR: Table ronde sur l’égalité des genres parmi les personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne

Cette table ronde réunira des intervenants issus des secteurs de la santé, de l’égalité des genres et du travail pour discuter des moyens de promouvoir l’égalité des genres dans le secteur de la santé et de l’aide à la personne. Compte tenu du fardeau anormalement important qui a pesé sur le personnel féminin pendant la pandémie de COVID-19, et sur la base des publications de référence de l’OIT et de l’OMS, le groupe de discussion étudiera la valeur que les femmes apportent à l’économie de la santé et de l’aide à la personne et les mesures nécessaires pour combler les écarts généralisés entre les genres en matière de rémunération, de conditions de travail et de postes de responsabilité.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre igualdad de género entre los trabajadores de la salud y asistenciales 

Esta mesa redonda congregará a participantes de los ámbitos de la salud, el género y el trabajo, que abordarán la manera de promover la igualdad de género en el sector de la salud y asistencial. Reconociendo la desproporcionada carga que se impuso a las mujeres durante la pandemia de COVID19, y sobre la base de publicaciones fundamentales de la OIT y la OMS, los participantes examinarán la contribución de las mujeres, en términos de valor, a la economía de la salud y el cuidado, así como las medidas necesarias para eliminar la brecha de género que persiste en cuanto a remuneración, condiciones de trabajo y liderazgo.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre igualdade de género no seio da força de trabalho da saúde e dos cuidados

Esta mesa-redonda reunirá um conjunto de peritos em saúde, género e trabalho para discutir o modo de fazer avançar a igualdade de género no seio do sector da saúde e dos cuidados. Reconhecendo o fardo desproporcional que as mulheres tiveram de suportar durante a pandemia da COVID-19, com base nas publicações de referência da OIT e da OMS, o painel irá considerar o valor que as mulheres conferem à economia da saúde e dos cuidados e que ações serão necessárias para eliminar as lacunas persistentes nos salários, condições de trabalho e liderança.

RU: Круглый стол «Гендерное равенство среди работников здравоохранения и социальной сферы» 

В ходе круглого стола эксперты по вопросам здравоохранения, гендерного равенства и трудовых отношений обсудят пути укрепления гендерного равенства в секторе здравоохранения и социальных услуг. Учитывая непропорционально тяжелую нагрузку, которая выпала на долю женщин во время пандемии COVID-19, а также принимая во внимание авторитетные публикации МОТ и ВОЗ по этим вопросам, эксперты осветят экономический вклад женщин в медико-социальную сферу, а также меры, необходимые для ликвидации распространенных гендерных различий в таких вопросах, как оплата и условия труда, а также возможности для занятия руководящих должностей.  

CH: 卫生和照护人员队伍的性别平等问题圆桌会议

这次圆桌会议将召集卫生、性别和劳工方面的讨论嘉宾，探讨如何在卫生和照护行业促进性别平等。认识到COVID-19大流行期间女性承受了尤其沉重的负担，并以劳工组织和世卫组织的具有影响力出版物为基础，嘉宾小组将审视女性为卫生和照护经济创造的价值，以及需要采取哪些行动来消除在薪酬、工作条件和领导力方面普遍存在的性别差距。

AR:

مائدة مستديرة بشأن المساواة بين الجنسين في القوى العاملة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية

سيشارك في هذه المائدة المستديرة محاورون من مجالات الصحة والشؤون الجنسانية والعمل لبحث سبل النهوض بالمساواة بين الجنسين في قطاعي الصحة والرعاية. وإقرارا بالعبء غير المتناسب الذي تحملته المرأة خلال جائحة كوفيد-19، واستنادا إلى المنشورات المرجعية الصادرة عن منظمة العمل الدولية ومنظمة الصحة العالمية، سينظر المشاركون في حلقة النقاش في قيمة إسهام المرأة في اقتصاد الصحة والرعاية، وفي الإجراءات المطلوبة للقضاء على الفوارق المتفشية بين الجنسين في الأجور وظروف العمل والقيادة. 

Advancing an African-led, fit-for-purpose health workforce: mapping the road ahead for regional and global goals

Garden Room X 

In 2022, the Africa CDC, the African Union, Seed Global Health, Amref Health Africa and Ministers of Health from Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia announced during the UN General Assembly a novel commitment to support a pan-African-led compact to tackle the serious health worker shortage across the continent.  These partners aim to develop specific approaches for measuring HCW shortages, mapping health worker needs to national burdens of disease, costing and implementing training and retention plans, and measuring health workforce gains in multiple sectors in these countries. Partners will work together to mobilize and direct funding towards established priorities in each country within national HRH plans. The coalition of public, private sector and regional leadership will help ensure a locally led, globally supported and integrated approach to advancing training and retention of the workforce that can further the aims of the WHO Roadmap.    This session will unpack the vision of and commitment of the African Union COVID-19 commission and Africa CDC’s desired compact for a fit-for-purpose health workforce for Africa. The session will emphasize the pressing need to respect country-led priorities, their specific needs and how to elevate their thoughtfully crafted HRH agendas.  We will articulate how such commitments help move the needle on health outcomes in the long-term for countries, and what kind of investment is needed. Intended to be participatory, we aim to engage stakeholders for specific feedback, opportunities to better leverage resources, to identify metrics for progress, and how to best outline the case for investment. 

Advancing the understanding of circular migration as an effective and equitable mechanism for health workforce retention and motivation

Garden Room U1 

Our session aims at exploring global perspectives on theoretical and practical aspects of circular migration of the health workforce. It stemmed from the observation that little evidence exists on the extent to which circular migration would work in practice.

By engaging outstanding professionals in the health workforce field, the session will provide scientifically-sound and geographically diverse perspectives on how to best use circular migration in health systems, thus filling the knowledge gaps mentioned above.

The contributions will focus on a mix of evidence & practice and policy related to circular migration, as follows:

(1) Dr. Kuhlmann will report on findings of a project looking at foreign health professional working in Germany, for whom circular migration emerged as an option especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

(2) Dr. Paina will report on a round table with key informants in Romania around the facilitators for and barriers to circular migration from the perspective of a sending country - Romania.

(3) Dr. Zapata will provide policy perspectives on circular migration as a key health workforce strategy.

(4) Dr. Rees will focus on evidence from inflows of Venezuelan health workers in Peru.

With this session, we are advancing work that pays greater attention to the “human face” of health workforce mobility and migration, addressing the needs and wishes of healthcare workers and ‘humanising’ health labour market policy and research. We address gender-based inequalities and discrimination in the health workforce and consider the intersectionality of inequalities (gender, race/ethnicity, age, class/professional status) in the migrant health workforce.

Delivering the essential public health functions: what workforce do we need?

Garden Room T 

The SDG era has witnessed increasing emergencies, including disease outbreaks, humanitarian crises in conflict settings, terrorist attacks and environmental disasters. These have exacerbated health inequities and highlighted the role of the health and care workforce.

Therefore, WHO launched a roadmap initiative on public health and emergency workforce in May 2022, which aims to strengthen all the essential public health functions, including emergency preparedness, across disciplines. The Roadmap is the result of joint efforts across leading experts, organizations and associations toward three interlinked priorities areas:

• defining the essential public health functions and their subfunctions,
• strengthening competency-based education, and
• mapping and measurement of the public health workforce.

Implementation of the Roadmap requires collective collaboration and action from governments, funders, technical partners, academic institutions including schools of public health, national public health institutes and civil society organizations.

The objective of this session is to foster an aligned vision for public health workforce development for the future. The endorsement and support from Member States of the Roadmap will catalyse development of future dedicated public health workforce policies linked to national health sector strategic. This session will call upon all interested parties to collaborate on the Roadmap initiative and build multisectorial partnerships at country, regional and international levels, in order to avoid fragmentation, competition and duplication.

The intended participants are the Member State representatives, NGOs and professional networks/representatives of public health and emergency workforce, public health institutions, public health academia, and WHO departments.

EN: Roundtable on health workforce investment

This roundtable will engage diverse leaders with the influence to shape health workforce education and employment investments from government, international financing institutions, regional economic communities, private sector, health worker organizations, employers, and multilateral and bilateral agencies. It will consider opportunities to collectively align, stimulate and sustain the required health workforce investments to achieve progress on health for all.

FR: Table ronde sur les investissements consacrés aux personnels de santé

Cette table ronde rassemblera divers dirigeants du secteur public, des institutions financières internationales, des communautés économiques régionales, du secteur privé, des organisations représentant les agents de santé, des employeurs et des organismes multilatéraux et bilatéraux qui influencent et contribuent à déterminer les investissements consacrés à la formation et à l’emploi des personnels de santé. Les participants étudieront les possibilités d’harmoniser, de stimuler et de pérenniser collectivement les investissements qu’il faut consacrer aux personnels de santé pour réaliser des progrès aux fins de la santé pour tous.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre inversión en trabajadores de la salud

Esta mesa redonda contará con la participación de distintos líderes con la influencia necesaria para configurar las inversiones en materia de educación y empleo de los trabajadores de la salud por parte de los gobiernos, las instituciones financieras internacionales, las comunidades económicas regionales, el sector privado, las organizaciones de trabajadores de la salud, los empleadores y organismos multilaterales y bilaterales. Se examinarán las oportunidades para armonizar, estimular y mantener colectivamente las inversiones necesarias en materia de trabajadores de la salud de modo que permitan lograr avances en salud para todos.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre investimento na força de trabalho da saúde

Esta mesa-redonda envolverá diversos líderes influentes para determinar quais os investimentos necessários para a educação e emprego da força de trabalho da saúde por parte dos governos, instituições de financiamento internacionais, comunidades económicas regionais, sector privado, organizações de profissionais de saúde, empregadores e agências multilaterais e bilaterais. Serão discutidas as oportunidades para alinhar, estimular e sustentar coletivamente os investimentos necessários na força de trabalho da saúde, para permitir o progresso da saúde para todos.

RU: Круглый стол «Инвестиции в развитие трудовых ресурсов здравоохранения» 

В работе круглого стола примут участие руководители различных государственных органов, международных финансовых учреждений, региональных экономических объединений, частного сектора, организаций медицинских работников, работодателей, а также многосторонних и двусторонних учреждений, обладающие полномочиями для определения параметров капиталовложений в подготовку и обеспечение занятости работников здравоохранения. В ходе обсуждения будут рассмотрены возможности для коллективного согласования, привлечения и поддержания необходимых инвестиций в развитие кадров здравоохранения в интересах прогресса в укреплении здоровья всех людей. 

CH: 卫生人力投资问题圆桌会议

本次圆桌会议将邀请对塑造卫生人力教育和就业的投资具有影响力的各类领导人，包括政府、国际金融机构、区域经济共同体、私立部门、卫生工作者组织、雇主以及多边和双边机构等方面。会议将讨论共同地调整一致、激发促进和持续提供所需卫生人力投资方面的机遇，以获得人人享有健康的进展。

AR:

مائدة مستديرة بشأن الاستثمار في القوى العاملة الصحية

سيشارك في هذه المائدة المستديرة قادة من شتى المشارب قادرون على التأثير على الحكومات ومؤسسات التمويل الدولية والجماعات الاقتصادية الإقليمية والقطاع الخاص ومنظمات العاملين الصحيين وأرباب العمل والوكالات المتعددة الأطراف والثنائية من أجل تسخير استثمارات لتعليم وتوظيف القوى العاملة الصحية. وستنظر المائدة المستديرة في فرص تنسيق الاستثمارات المطلوبة في القوى العاملة الصحية والتحفيز عليها واستدامتها على نحو جماعي لتحقيق التقدم في مجال الصحة للجميع. 

Advocates can’t let the current momentum toward policy change and investment for health workers slow down. With the unprecedented spotlight on health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, we may have reached a pivotal moment, meaning policymakers and funders are finally hearing our calls to protect and support the global health workforce to respond to health emergencies and reach universal health coverage.

This session will convene leading advocates enacting change for health workers at the national, regional, and global levels. Experts–including health workers–will explore how to advance advocacy for health workers.

The director of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition will provide an overview of policy and investment wins for the health workforce and highlight existing evidence, including successful health workforce strengthening practices, that can be built on for further advocacy.

Roundtable speakers will share successful advocacy tactics and strategies (e.g., lobbying government stakeholders, engaging multilateral organizations, and training health workers in advocacy) and the commitments and policy changes achieved. Speakers will discuss lessons learned during the pandemic and next steps toward securing additional investments, policies, and good practices for health workers, with an eye toward planning advocacy inputs during high-level meetings at the 78th United Nations General Assembly. Virtual participants will weigh in via interactive tools and may ask questions about their own health workforce advocacy initiatives and goals.

This session will deliver a clear call to action: for this to truly be a turning point, funders, health workers, and civil society must increase investment in health workforce advocacy.

EN: Roundtable on health workforce investment

This roundtable will engage diverse leaders with the influence to shape health workforce education and employment investments from government, international financing institutions, regional economic communities, private sector, health worker organizations, employers, and multilateral and bilateral agencies. It will consider opportunities to collectively align, stimulate and sustain the required health workforce investments to achieve progress on health for all.

FR: Table ronde sur les investissements consacrés aux personnels de santé

Cette table ronde rassemblera divers dirigeants du secteur public, des institutions financières internationales, des communautés économiques régionales, du secteur privé, des organisations représentant les agents de santé, des employeurs et des organismes multilatéraux et bilatéraux qui influencent et contribuent à déterminer les investissements consacrés à la formation et à l’emploi des personnels de santé. Les participants étudieront les possibilités d’harmoniser, de stimuler et de pérenniser collectivement les investissements qu’il faut consacrer aux personnels de santé pour réaliser des progrès aux fins de la santé pour tous.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre inversión en trabajadores de la salud

Esta mesa redonda contará con la participación de distintos líderes con la influencia necesaria para configurar las inversiones en materia de educación y empleo de los trabajadores de la salud por parte de los gobiernos, las instituciones financieras internacionales, las comunidades económicas regionales, el sector privado, las organizaciones de trabajadores de la salud, los empleadores y organismos multilaterales y bilaterales. Se examinarán las oportunidades para armonizar, estimular y mantener colectivamente las inversiones necesarias en materia de trabajadores de la salud de modo que permitan lograr avances en salud para todos.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre investimento na força de trabalho da saúde

Esta mesa-redonda envolverá diversos líderes influentes para determinar quais os investimentos necessários para a educação e emprego da força de trabalho da saúde por parte dos governos, instituições de financiamento internacionais, comunidades económicas regionais, sector privado, organizações de profissionais de saúde, empregadores e agências multilaterais e bilaterais. Serão discutidas as oportunidades para alinhar, estimular e sustentar coletivamente os investimentos necessários na força de trabalho da saúde, para permitir o progresso da saúde para todos.

RU: Круглый стол «Инвестиции в развитие трудовых ресурсов здравоохранения» 

В работе круглого стола примут участие руководители различных государственных органов, международных финансовых учреждений, региональных экономических объединений, частного сектора, организаций медицинских работников, работодателей, а также многосторонних и двусторонних учреждений, обладающие полномочиями для определения параметров капиталовложений в подготовку и обеспечение занятости работников здравоохранения. В ходе обсуждения будут рассмотрены возможности для коллективного согласования, привлечения и поддержания необходимых инвестиций в развитие кадров здравоохранения в интересах прогресса в укреплении здоровья всех людей. 

CH: 卫生人力投资问题圆桌会议

本次圆桌会议将邀请对塑造卫生人力教育和就业的投资具有影响力的各类领导人，包括政府、国际金融机构、区域经济共同体、私立部门、卫生工作者组织、雇主以及多边和双边机构等方面。会议将讨论共同地调整一致、激发促进和持续提供所需卫生人力投资方面的机遇，以获得人人享有健康的进展。

AR:

مائدة مستديرة بشأن الاستثمار في القوى العاملة الصحية

سيشارك في هذه المائدة المستديرة قادة من شتى المشارب قادرون على التأثير على الحكومات ومؤسسات التمويل الدولية والجماعات الاقتصادية الإقليمية والقطاع الخاص ومنظمات العاملين الصحيين وأرباب العمل والوكالات المتعددة الأطراف والثنائية من أجل تسخير استثمارات لتعليم وتوظيف القوى العاملة الصحية. وستنظر المائدة المستديرة في فرص تنسيق الاستثمارات المطلوبة في القوى العاملة الصحية والتحفيز عليها واستدامتها على نحو جماعي لتحقيق التقدم في مجال الصحة للجميع. 

EN: Roundtable on financing the health and care workforce

This roundtable will reflect on the global macroeconomic context and the increasing pressure on fiscal space for government expenditure on education, health and social protection. It will explore how governments can generate and sustain the capital and operational investments for the health and care workforce, how to enhance efficiency of spending and consider how international financing institutions, multilateral development banks and other investment partners can work together with governments to end the workforce crisis.

FR: Table ronde sur le financement des personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne

Cette table ronde portera sur le contexte macroéconomique mondial et les contraintes de plus en plus grandes qui réduisent la marge de manœuvre budgétaire pour les dépenses publiques consacrées à l’éducation, à la santé et à la protection sociale. Les participants étudieront comment les pouvoirs publics peuvent générer et pérenniser les investissements en capital et les investissements opérationnels en faveur des personnels de santé et d’aide à la personne, comment gagner en efficience et comment les institutions financières internationales, les banques multilatérales de développement et d’autres partenaires d’investissement peuvent collaborer avec les gouvernements pour mettre fin à la crise des personnels de santé.

SP: Mesa redonda sobre financiación de los trabajadores de la salud y asistenciales

Esta mesa redonda reflexionará sobre el contexto macroeconómico mundial y la creciente presión sobre el margen fiscal para el gasto público en educación, salud y protección social. Explorará la manera en que los gobiernos pueden generar y mantener las inversiones de capital y operativas para los trabajadores de la salud y asistenciales y cómo mejorar la eficiencia del gasto, y analizará de qué modo pueden colaborar las instituciones financieras internacionales, los bancos multilaterales de desarrollo y otros asociados en materia de inversión con los gobiernos para poner fin a la crisis que afecta a la fuerza de trabajo.

PT: Mesa-redonda sobre financiamento da força de trabalho da saúde e dos cuidados

Esta mesa-redonda irá refletir sobre o contexto macroeconómico global e a crescente pressão sobre o espaço fiscal para as despesas governamentais com a educação, saúde e proteção social. Irá igualmente explorar o modo como os governos poderão gerar e sustentar os investimentos de capital e operacionais para a força de trabalho da saúde e dos cuidados, como melhorar a eficiência das despesas e considerar o modo como as instituições de financiamento internacionais, os bancos de desenvolvimento multilaterais e outros parceiros do investimento poderão trabalhar em conjunto com os governos para pôr fim à crise da força de trabalho da saúde.

RU: Круглый стол «Финансирование трудовых ресурсов здравоохранения и социальной сферы» 

В ходе круглого стола будет проанализирована глобальная макроэкономическая конъюнктура и факторы, которые все больше ограничивают бюджетные возможности государств для финансирования образования, здравоохранения и социальной защиты. Будут обсуждены механизмы, при помощи которых правительства могут обеспечивать финансированием и поддерживать на должном уровне капитальные и текущие расходы на трудовые ресурсы здравоохранения и социальной сферы, меры по повышению отдачи от бюджетных расходов, а также варианты сотрудничества между международными финансовыми учреждениями, многосторонними банками развития, другими инвестиционными партнерами и правительствами для преодоления кадрового кризиса.  

CH: 卫生和照护人员队伍融资问题圆桌会议

本次圆桌会议将探讨全球宏观经济背景以及政府在教育、卫生和社会保障支出的财政空间方面所面临的日益增长压力。会议将探索各国政府如何为卫生和照护人员队伍创造并维持资本和运营投资，如何提高支出效率，并讨论国际金融机构、多边开发银行和其他投资伙伴如何与各国政府开展合作，从而终结人力危机。

AR:

مائدة مستديرة بشأن تمويل القوى العاملة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية

ستبحث هذه المائدة المستديرة سياق الاقتصاد الكلي العالمي والضغط المتزايد على الحيز المالي للإنفاق الحكومي على التعليم والصحة والحماية الاجتماعية. وستستكشف أيضا السبل التي يمكن بها للحكومات توليد واستدامة رأس المال والاستثمارات التشغيلية المخصصة للقوى العاملة في مجالي الصحة والرعاية، وسبل تعزيز الكفاءة في الإنفاق، وستنظر في سبل تعاون مؤسسات التمويل الدولية والمصارف الإنمائية المتعددة الأطراف وشركاء الاستثمار الآخرين مع الحكومات لإنهاء أزمة القوى العاملة. 

Enabling strategic and sustainable investments in the health workforce

Garden Room U1 

This session will describe perspectives on what is needed to align HRH investments to support country HRH goals and further WHO’s Workforce 2030 agenda.  Discussants from Ministries of Health, the Global Financing Facility (GFF), Global Fund, World Health Organization (WHO) will reflect on what policies and agendas can effectively optimize the existing workforce and how these reforms can be achieved and sustained. Discussants will further address how to align with global HRH best practices, strategies, policy recommendations and frameworks for health workforce strengthening, and bolster evidence-based HRH financing decisions. Lastly, discussants will explore how partners can strengthen and complement domestic HRH investments.

Through its HRH Agenda and Operational Plan: 2023-2025, the GFF Partnership has identified collaborative and strategic actions to leverage World Bank co-financing as well as expertise in governance and fiscal space analysis through country-led platforms. The Global Fund highlights the importance of strategic HRH investments through its new strategy focused on the PHC workforce, improving HRH performance, and strengthening community level integrated service delivery.

Interpretation available for: EN | FR 

Experiences in overcoming the human resources for health data challenges in countries through the implementation of the National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA)

Garden Room X 

Sound health workforce data and evidence are essential for Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. The strengthening of health workforce data through progressive implementation of National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA) is a critical step for monitoring and ensuring accountability for the implementation of national, regional and global strategies.

As of today, NHWA has been adopted by over 170 countries, areas and territories.

The progressive implementation of NHWA has resulted in tremendous increase in health workforce data availability and quality. This has in turn, enhanced our understanding of the global health workforce scenario resulting in various global and regional publications.

Multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement remains a critical factor to improved HRH data as there are several data owners from various sectors. Engagement of non-conventional data owners and sources cannot be overlooked and must be leveraged to complement evidence on key health topics, such as population census, social media to name a few.

This session illustrates the core NHWA principles of data governance looking at health workforce data challenges with a systems strengthening perspective, assessing the data governance, HRH information systems, tools, data flows and data sources etc.

This session presents the good practices that countries have put in place to improve multi-stakeholder and multisectoral governance, data sharing practices across different sectors, and how the improved HRH data availability and quality has then enabled countries to make evidence-based policy decisions and undertake concrete actions such as re-allocate existing resources, recruit new health workers and reform health workforce policies.

Garden Room T 

Organized by AU, UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO (AFRO/EMRO)

Integrated community health worker programmes functioning within the comprehensive health system are increasingly recognized as one of the strategies to strengthen the health workforce and primary care towards advancing UHC, SDGs and health security. In 2019, the World Health Assembly passed a historic resolution, emphasizing the role of CHWs in primary health care, “to assure that universal health coverage and comprehensive health services reach difficult-to-access areas and vulnerable populations,” and highlighting their contribution to “advancing equitable access to safe, comprehensive health services.” The Assembly called upon Member States to “optimize CHW programmes” as part of the global strategy to achieve UHC and to attain Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).

The session will bring the latest information and evidence on community health worker programmes, including the recent studies undertaken in Africa and eastern Mediterranean regions. The evidence will be complemented with the reflection of experiences and future-shaping strategies from policy makers from selected countries.

The session emphasizes that the existence and role of CHW programmes must be understood within a wider context of health systems organization and functioning, and health workforce, integrated into health systems, as part of national health and health workforce policies. CHW initiatives and programmes are an important investment in strengthening health systems and primary health care.

Health work as gendered work: towards a comprehensive estimation of the value of health human resources in a health system strengthening agenda

M-Building M505 

Women deliver health and care services and represent 67% of the global health workforce. Women’s work in both paid and unpaid roles contributes to supporting and promoting the health of others and is essential for maintaining healthy populations and supporting the sustainability of health systems.

In a landmark 2015 publication, the Lancet Commission on Women and Health measured the substantial contributions that women make to health and health care in their roles as paid and unpaid health care providers. The value of women’s health care work was estimated at 5% of global gross world product. Unpaid and under-paid work accounted for about half of this overall estimate.

Progress has been slow in advancing gender transformative reforms within health systems to value women’s work and achieve gender equality. A gender wage gap persists which means that women are consistently paid less than men in similar roles across health systems. Women in health and social sectors are engaged in lower-skilled jobs, with less pay and at the lower end of professional hierarchies, with far less representation in leadership positions. Unpaid healthcare continues to provide a huge hidden subsidy to health systems and women continue to carry a heavier burden of caregiving.

This session aims to present new estimates of the value of women’s paid and unpaid health care work, accounting for gender discrimination. This session will present a methodical approach for taking forward key recommendations to recognize and value the work that women contribute to health and health systems globally.

The role of the private sector in health professional education, employment and retention: A focus on government stewardship and commissioning for primary health care

Auditorium 

Over the past years, in many countries the private sector has played an increasingly important role in the health sector either in terms of professional education or employment. Within the context of many health systems struggling to cope with a rising demand for health services notably for primary health care (PHC), and the lack of health workforce largely due to insufficient investments, it is important to have a good understanding of government perspectives on the role of the private sector, how governments could work with the private sector, and  how to ensure that the private sector can support public priorities in view of moving towards universal health coverage and health security.  This session will discuss public and private partnerships notably in the context of PHC to gain a good understanding of the potential and challenges of such partnerships, and identify good practices and policy options for successful partnerships for public purposes leading to more investments in the health workforce and better access to health services for the population.

Health labour market analysis

Caring for the carers - music and wellbeing for health workers across the globe 

A course for gender equality champions – application of WHO tools for gender mainstreaming and human resources for health 

Building workforce planning & leadership capacity