WHO has designated the Department of International Health, of the Care and Public Health Research Institute at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, as the new WHO Collaborating Centre on Public Health Leadership and Workforce Development. The new centre will support WHO’s work in generating robust evidence and developing tools and capacity-building programmes to advance the professionalization and competencies of the public health workforce across the WHO European Region. One key area of focus will be the strengthening of public health leadership at regional and country level.
WHO/Europe’s collaboration with the department began in 2014 and will now continue in a formalized way with the department becoming one of WHO’s official collaborating centres.
“This is an important milestone for both WHO and the centre at Maastricht University. Advancing public health leadership and the professionalization of the public health workforce is a necessity. It ensures that we have the right people, in the right roles, with the right skills, to protect and promote health in a rapidly changing world. This is how we turn public health vision into lasting impact,” said Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, WHO/Europe’s Director of Country Health Policies and Systems. “We are very much looking forward to working alongside our new partners in an effort to support and advance this key workforce.”
Public health leadership key to universal health coverage
Resilient health systems require public health workers and leaders with the ability to pro-actively assess new problems, formulate plausible solutions and support the development of new policies, while working collaboratively with all stakeholders.
Yet many countries continue to face barriers when it comes to strengthening their public health systems: shortages of trained public health professionals, a lack of institutional mechanisms to implement and monitor essential public health functions, and a lack of coordination across sectors and levels of government, among others.
“A strong, respected and supported public health workforce is the foundation of a healthier future –when we invest in those who protect our well-being, we empower communities, save lives and build resilience that lasts for generations,” said Professor Katarzyna Czabanowska, Head of the collaborating centre at Maastricht University. “By developing visionary leaders and a strategic, competent workforce equipped to navigate complex challenges and deliver high-quality achievements in public health, we not only respond to today’s crises but shape a healthier, more equitable tomorrow.”