3.3. Cultivating the primary health care workforce for health equity

Workforce development is a cornerstone of equity in PHC. Health systems cannot effectively address the social determinants of health (SDH) or tackle the root causes of ill health without trained, adaptable and motivated professionals who stand up for equity. This area focuses on cultivating a skilled workforce capable of addressing systemic inequities from PHC. Training efforts emphasize participatory skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership in driving systemic change, and the creation of equitable workload models.

 

Examples from SIMASHE

Health Provider Training in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: The CONNECT initiative includes training for health providers in respectful care and counselling skills, through roleplay and other methodologies, and for local authorities to support community use of health care – for example, covering issues such as how to address vaccine hesitancy with empathy.

Strengthening community and local workforce skills in Tolosa, Philippines: Collaborations with various academic institutions and government sectors were enhanced to strengthen community participatory research and life skills aimed at addressing noncommunicable diseases, including horticulture and food preparation.

Equity-focused workshops for PHC programme re-design in Chile: A series of workshops has been carried out to redesign 100 health programmes using the Innov8 approach to incorporate equity and the SDH. The programmes include cardiovascular health, cervical cancer, healthy eating, mental health, and the comprehensive care programme for noncommunicable diseases These workshops have been developed with participants from the Ministry of Health at both national and subnational levels, as well as PHC teams from the local level where the redesigned programmes will be implemented.

Examples from related work and initiatives

Training for Primary Care providers to support the Ukraine migration crisis in Lausanne, Switzerland: To ensure health equity for the Ukrainian population in Switzerland, training sessions for health professionals who may have to deal with Ukrainian refugees were organized. These one-hour, hybrid (online and in person) sessions aimed to convey the main health care issues related to this population, including paediatric, mental health, infectious disease, sociosanitary, gynaecological and human trafficking issues.

COVID-19 vaccination programme for undocumented migrants in Lausanne, Switzerland: Unisanté implemented a free, walk-in vaccination programme specifically designed for undocumented migrants, requiring no health insurance and ensuring confidentiality. The initiative featured strong coordination between health authorities, a regional centre and community partners, along with experienced staff, translated materials and interpreter support. A broad communication campaign targeted migrant communities. The programme was later documented and shared through a WHO call for projects to support the transferability of approaches for migrant care.

Key intervention activities

SIMASHE is continuously seeking examples related to this area of work, including activities for:

  • comprehensive training and mentoring for health workers and PHC leaders on equity and social determinants of health integration.
  • delivering training focused on equity for intersectoral teams to tackle local inequalities.
  • trainings for holistic and culturally sensitive care.
  • Enhancing healthcare workforce leadership and communication skills to promote equity-driven systemic change.
  • offering information and skills to community members to help them engage in PHC strategies focused on promoting equity.
  • collaboration with academic institutions for capacity-building support.
  • designing healthcare work models that encourage loyalty and commitment of primary care workers with the social determinants of health.