Understanding the workforce situation through health labour market analysis

Understanding the workforce situation through health labour market analysis

WHO/Yoshi Shimizu
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Overview

 

Worldwide the demand for health workers is expected to double to 80 million health workers by 2030 leaving a global shortfall of 18 million health workers in primarily low and lower-middle income countries. Health workers play a pivotal role in improving health, but also in the wider economy. A deeper understanding of the health and social workforce, including the required investment, has become imperative to achieve efficient, effective, resilient and sustainable health systems.

The Health Labour Markets Unit of the Department is responsible for providing policy advice and technical support for the development of health workforce policies, plans and capacity building initiatives with a particular focus on health labour market analysis, health workforce planning, forecasting and modelling.

Health Labour Market approach 
Timely analysis of labour market trends is fundamental to designing the effective health labour market policies needed to address the root causes of key workforce challenges and meet the growing demand for health workers. Workforce shortages, issues of maldistribution, unemployment, absenteeism, gender inequities and performance are prevalent in the health labour market. WHO responds to these challenges through:
  • Developing health labour market analysis modules and training (e-learning modules in development);
  • GHWN Health Labour Market Hub, for sharing methods, information and evidence to support policy decision making;
  • Facilitating the development of health workforce observatories;
  • Country support for Health Labour Market Analysis.
The number of countries requesting WHO for technical support for health labour market analysis has increased over the years. In addition to country support in Africa (see section on Muskoka), WHO also provide technical support for health labour market analyses to other parts of the world, notably in Sri Lanka, Morocco, Bangladesh and more recently India.
 
Muskoka initiative
The three levels of the organization (WHO HQ, Regional office, country office) are involved in the implementation of the Muskoka French Grant since 2011. Based on the objectives of national health strategic plans of each of the nine countries, a joint planning process with UN agencies and Ministries of Health is undertaken on a yearly basis. The country plans are analysed to identify regional activities which can support the implementation of the national plans. At the HQ level, technical assistance is provided jointly with the regional office based on requests from the countries. As part of the Muskoka activities, WHO supports:
  • Health labor market analysis for policy development and planning;
  • Data for planning;
  • Strengthening health workforce information systems;
  • Advocacy for job creation;
  • Midwifery school’s accreditation;
  • Strategy development for health services need base recruitment, deployment and retention of health workforce;
  • Strengthening the accessibility to qualified professionals especially in rural area;
  • Advocacy for investments in health systems strengthening and the health and social workforce.