Building a sustainable and fit-for-purpose workforce

WHO works with countries to build a sustainable and fit-for-purpose health workforce.

Health and care workers are the backbone of any health system. Timely and equitable access to quality health and care services depends on having a fit-for-purpose workforce. Countries in the WHO European Region have long recognized the need for a health and care workforce that is better equipped to deal with changing health needs resulting from ageing populations, rising levels of chronic disease, changing expectations and new technologies, and increasing health threats associated with climate change and health emergencies.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many challenges, amplifying their impact and exacerbating workforce issues, such as uneven distribution, suboptimal skill mix, and shortages of health and care workers. It also made emerging challenges more acute, for example: (i) exacerbating the increasing difficulties with retention of health and care workers due to pressures from substantial service backlogs, burnout, stress, and concerns about workplace safety and violence; (ii) highlighting the importance of protecting mental and physical health and well-being and strengthening gender equality within the health and care workforce; and (iii) emphasizing the need to attract young people into the health and care professions, given the workforce itself is rapidly ageing.

WHO provides support to Member States in several ways, including:

• strengthening human resources for health functions, including governance and public administration of human resources for health;
• working with governments to develop health workforce strategies;
• supporting countries in carrying out health labour market analyses;
• supporting the implementation and use of human resources for health data information systems;
• strengthening the primary health care workforce;
• reforming health worker education programmes; and
• implementing the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (2021–2025).