Health workforce
Health systems can only function with health workers; improving health service coverage and realizing the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is dependent on their availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality.
Highlight: Focus on Migration
Independent Stakeholders reporting extended until 15 August 2024
International health worker migration is a long-standing and growing phenomenon, driven by fundamental labour market forces relating to education, working conditions and remuneration across countries. To improve the governance of international health worker migration, the World Health Assembly adopted the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. The Code seeks to minimize the negative consequences of health worker migration and promote workforce sustainability. Reporting on the Code implementation allows better understanding of health worker mobility trends and highlight priority issues that warrant attention.
The Fifth round of reporting on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (The Code) is open, and reporting forms are available for Member States' designated national authorities, private recruitment agencies and independent stakeholders.
Reporting instruments
30 March 2024
2024 National Reporting Instrument on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel
10 April 2024
2024 Private recruitment agencies reporting instrument on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel
10 April 2024
2024 Independent Stakeholders Reporting Instrument on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel
Maximizing health system benefits and safeguarding health workforce rights and welfare through fair and ethical international recruitment
More information on health health workforce migration and the fifth round of reporting.
Latest technical briefs
The Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health was held from 3-5 April 2023 under the theme Protecting, safeguarding, and investing in the health...
News
AlleHighlight
External publications
How economic implications of gender gaps in employment
Bull World Health Organ. 2024 Feb 1; 102(2): 87–87A
Design, delivery and effectiveness of health practitioner regulation systems: an integrative review
Hum Resour Health 21, 72 (2023)
Health practitioner regulation and national health goals
Bull World Health Organ. 2023 Sep 1; 101(9): 595–604
Publications
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Achieving and sustaining national progress towards universal health coverage, health security and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals cannot...
5 June 2024
Essential public health functions: A guide to map and measure national workforce capacity
Monitoring the composition of the workforce that delivers the essential public health functions (EPHFs), including a specific function and focus on emergency...
27 May 2024
National workforce capacity for essential public health functions: Operational handbook for country-led...
Achieving and sustaining national progress towards universal health coverage, health security and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals necessitates...
25 May 2024
Defining essential public health functions and services to strengthen national workforce capacity
The purpose of this document is to support countries in contextualizing and implementing action area 1 of the roadmap and action plan to strengthen the...
Technical documents
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30 May 2024
WHO Global Code of Practice: an overview
This document is an overview of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.
10 April 2024
2024 Private recruitment agencies reporting instrument on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International...
Reporting deadline extended to 15 August 2024.In alignment with the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, the...
10 April 2024
2024 Independent Stakeholders Reporting Instrument on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International...
Deadline for submissions extended to 15 August 2024In alignment with the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel,...
30 March 2024
2024 National Reporting Instrument on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment...
The 2024 National Reporting Instrument for Member States is intended for use by designated national authorities to report on health personnel migration...
Multimedia & speeches
COVID-19 resources
26 March 2023
What the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed: the findings of five global health workforce professions
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO asserted that a holistic assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact is needed and accordingly formulated a...
3 December 2020
Health workforce policy and management in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic response
This guide consolidates COVID-19 guidance for human resources for health managers and policy-makers at national, subnational and facility levels to design,...
26 April 2021
The role of community health workers in COVID-19 vaccination: Implementation support guide
This guide is intended to support national governments developing their national deployment and vaccination plans (NDVPs) for COVID-19 vaccines by outlining...
22 September 2010
Joint WHO/ILO policy guidelines on improving health worker access to prevention, treatment and care...
This document presents an evidence-informed policy for the provision of improved access to HIV and TB prevention, treatment, care and support for health...
13 January 2023
Infection prevention and control in the context of coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a living guideline,...
The Infection prevention and control in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a living guideline consolidates infection...
17 December 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on human resources for health and policy response: the case of Plurinational State...
In the International Year of Health and Care Workers (2021) and in an effort to support countries in the design and implementation of strategies to address...
14 August 2022
Impact of COVID-19 on Human Resources for Health and Policy Response: the Case of Belize, Grenada, and...
Health workers are crucial in the preparedness and response to COVID-19, but the pandemic has evidenced the shortage of human resources for health (HRH)...
Campaigns
Key publications
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7 July 2020
Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030
10 April 2022
Working for Health 2022-2030 Action Plan
8 March 2023
WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023
12 April 2022
Global health and care worker compact
2 February 2016
Global Strategic Directions for Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery
14 March 2019
Delivered by women, led by men: A gender and equity analysis of the global health and social workforce (Human Resources for Health Observer Series No. 24)
20 May 2010
WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel
World Health Assembly resolutions
- WHA75.17 – Human resources for health (Working for Health (2022-2030) Action Plan, Global health and care worker compact) (2022)
- WHA A75/15 - Global strategy on human resources for health: workforce 2030 - Report by the Director-General
- WHA74.14 - Protecting, safeguarding and investing in the health and care workforce (2021)
- WHA74.15 - Strengthening nursing and midwifery: investments in education, jobs, leadership and service delivery (2021)
- WHA73.9 - Report of the WHO Expert Advisory Group on the Relevance and Effectiveness of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (2020)
- WHA73.30 - Human resources for health (2020)
- WHA72.3 - Community health workers delivering primary health care: opportunities and challenges) (2019
- WHA72.19 - 2020: International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife) (2019
- EB140.3 - Human resources for health and implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations’ High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth (2017)
- WHA70.6 - Human resources for health and implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations’ High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth (2017)
- WHA 69.19 - Global strategy on human resources for health: workforce 2030 (2016)
- WHA 63.16 - WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (2010)