The Alliance brings together Ministries of Health, Education, Finance and Public Service in El Salvador
The Global Health Workforce Alliance (the Alliance) and the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), in collaboration with the Ministries of Health of El Salvador and Brazil organized a workshop entitled "Primary Health Care and human resources for health (HRH) planning process: challenges of intersectoral coordination". The workshop took place in El Salvador from 4-6 May 2010.
The main objective of the meeting was to identify strategies for strengthening intersectoral coordination necessary for achieving strategic plans and human resources thus helping to solve the health workforce crisis. The Alliance presented the document "Good Practices on Country Collaboration and Facilitation" (CCF) and shared with participants the outcomes of the CCF consultation meetings held in Africa and Asia in the fall 2009.
Some 80 participants from nine Central and South American countries participated. Country delegations included representatives from the Ministry of Health as well as the Ministries of Education, Finance and Public Service. This was the first time that such a wide variety of stakeholders came together on human resources in the region.
Countries presented their situations and challenges and shared success stories. Particular focus was given to Brazil whose HRH coordination mechanism - namely the HRH Committee, Taskforces and decentralized HRH Observatories - were recognized by participants as a model that could benefit and inspire other countries in the region.
The workshop closed with the adoption by eight countries of the "Salvador Declaration" targeted at strengthening intersectoral collaboration for making available qualified health workers and contributing to the region's objective of universal coverage of Primary Health Care.
The Salvador Declaration and other meeting outcomes documents will be published here shortly.