Extract and a comment from me below.
https://www.who.int/teams/health-workforce/about/5thglobalforum-hrh/
'The Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health will be held from 3 to 5 April 2023. The format will be hybrid, to enable virtual and in-person sessions and will be hosted from the Auditorium of WHO headquarters in Geneva.
'The Forum will be held under the theme of Protecting, safeguarding, and investing in the health and care workforce. Marking more than five years since the adoption of the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030, the Forum will provide updates on progress in its implementation and share evidence and experiences on workforce development, as well as opportunities for a post COVID-19 era that will inform the implementation of the Working for Health 2022-2030 Action Plan. It will examine the required policy solutions, investments, and multi-sectoral partnerships to address health and care workforce challenges and advance health systems towards universal health coverage and health security. The outcomes of the Forum will inform the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on UHC in September 2023.
'The Forum is intersectoral and will engage participation from a range of actors, including high-impact decision-makers, across education, finance, gender, health, labour/employment, and migration sectors. In person participation will be for speakers participating in the high-level roundtable dialogue. Technical sessions and other learning and networking activities will be available upon registration through an IT platform dedicated for the Forum. The language of the Forum will be English with simultaneous interpretation available for the high-level roundtables.'
PURPOSE
To share progress on the implementation of the Global Strategy on HRH: workforce 2030, and the SDG agenda
To examine the required policy options and investments to address global health and care workforce challenges and build capacities and capabilities to advance health systems towards UHC and global health security
To identify opportunities for countries of all income classification to develop and align intersectoral activities, engaging relevant partners and stakeholders as needed
GUIDING QUESTIONS
Considering progress made to date and lessons learned and opportunities from the COVID-19 pandemic, what type of policy solutions and investments in the health and care workforce are needed to advance on integrated health and care services and the Essential Public Health Functions, including emergency preparedness and response?
How do we overcome market failures between education and employment in the health and care sector?
How can governments generate the capital and operational investments for health and care workforce in the context of increasing pressure on fiscal space for government expenditure on education, health and social protection? What are the roles of international financing institutions, multilateral development banks and other partners in this new economic reality and can they come together to form Partnerships for Public Purpose?
COMMENT (NPW): The overall goal of the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 are important to keep as a guide to all deliberations:
GOAL: To improve health, social and economic development outcomes by ensuring universal availability, accessibility, acceptability, coverage and quality of the health workforce through adequate investments to strengthen health systems, and the implementation of effective policies at national,a regional and global levels
PRINCIPLES
- Promote the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health
- Provide integrated, people-centred health services devoid of stigma and discrimination
- Foster empowered and engaged communities
- Uphold the personal, employment and professional rights of all health workers, including safe and decent working environments and freedom from all kinds of discrimination, coercion and violence
- Eliminate gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment
- Promote international collaboration and solidarity in alignment with national priorities
- Ensure ethical recruitment practices in conformity with the provisions of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel
- Mobilize and sustain political and financial commitment and foster inclusiveness and collaboration across sectors and constituencies
- Promote innovation and the use of evidence
That said, I would argue for an even greater focus on empowering health workers with their basic needs, which can be described with the acronym SEISMIC:
- Skills
- Equipment
- Information
- Systems
- Medicines
- Incentives
- Communication facilities.
https://www.hifa.org/about-hifa/hifa-universal-health-coverage-and-human...
Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Global Coordinator HIFA, www.hifa.org neil@hifa.org
Global Healthcare Information Network: Working in official relations with WHO
