Event highlights
On 15 April 2025, the Romanian Ministry of Health, with support from WHO, launched a vital new initiative to address one of the country’s most pressing health system challenges: the retention and development of health-care professionals.
The “Local action guide: solutions for the health workforce” is now under expert consultation and will serve as a strategic framework to empower local authorities and health managers to better attract, train and retain health workers.
While Romania has seen a recent decline in health worker emigration, the country still faces challenges: in 2021 over 22 000 Romanian doctors and 23 000 nurses were working in other countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) instead of their native Romania.
Key barriers to staffing underserved areas include poor working conditions, limited career advancement, high workloads and lack of multidisciplinary teams. In contrast, professionals are more likely to stay in places where they have access to professional development, supportive work environments and better quality of life.
Dr Alexandru Rafila, Romania’s Minister of Health, emphasized, “Transforming the health system goes beyond infrastructure. Skilled professionals and strong leadership are essential for real reform, as outlined in our National Recovery and Resilience Plan.”
The initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen Romania’s health system and is aligned with the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which includes key investments in health workforce reform and modernization.
The launch event in Bucharest brought together key health sector stakeholders, including WHO Representative in Romania Dr Caroline Clarinval, hospital managers, local authorities, public health directors, and representatives of universities and professional associations.
The guide promotes practical, locally adaptable strategies that recognize the health workforce as the backbone of an effective, resilient and sustainable health system.
Dr Clarinval underlined this point: “The health workforce is the foundation of any health system in the world. They are the backbone that ensures the delivery of timely and quality services to the population.”
She added, “The guide consists of concrete examples, guided by the WHO framework, some of which have already been implemented in various counties. The recommendations represent a starting point the local authorities can build upon.”
Interactive discussions during the event focused on strengthening the role of local authorities and building health management capacities. Participants exchanged best practices from successful initiatives in Oradea, Vâlcea, Buhuși and Bistrița, which demonstrate how innovative, context-specific solutions can lead to measurable improvements in workforce retention and motivation.
Investing in future workforce capacity
The Ministry also signed funding agreements with Romania’s 6 largest medical universities to launch a new programme for continuous professional development, targeting at least 5000 health-care and administrative personnel. This investment will support the development of a skilled, adaptable and motivated public health workforce.
The launch aligns with Romania’s commitments under the Bucharest Declaration on the Health and Care Workforce. Signed during the high-level regional meeting in 2023, it underscored the urgent need to invest in health workers across Europe and central Asia.
The launch also supports the implementation of the European Framework for Action on the Health and Care Workforce 2023–2030, adopted at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in Astana, Kazakhstan. Together, these regional commitments provide a roadmap for countries to build a fit-for-purpose, future-ready workforce.
Responding to ongoing challenges
WHO has been working alongside the Romanian Ministry of Health to strengthen health workforce policies in line with these regional and global frameworks. Through technical support, policy dialogues and promotion of best practices, WHO helps countries such as Romania to tackle workforce shortages, address imbalances in distribution and ensure equitable access to quality care.
By launching the “Local action guide: solutions for the health workforce”, Romania is a step closer to delivering on its health system reform goals and building a resilient health workforce that is better prepared to meet both current and future health challenges.