Event highlights
The “Subregional technical workshop on health workforce migration in the Eastern Partnership countries”, held on 12–13 June 2025 in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, brought together over 40 stakeholders from Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as participants from selected migrant receiving countries in the WHO European Region, including Ireland, Norway and Romania. Hosted by WHO/Europe as part of the European Union (EU)-funded “Health Resilience in the Eastern Partnership” programme, the workshop addressed pressing challenges related to health workforce migration and explored practical, collaborative solutions to strengthening workforce sustainability across the Eastern Partnership subregion.
Discussions centred on key trends in workforce mobility, the need for improved retention strategies and the importance of data-driven policy-making. Participants emphasized the urgency of creating better working conditions for health workers at home, while ensuring ethical recruitment practices across borders. The event also laid the groundwork for 5 new case studies on health workforce migration in the Eastern Partnership countries, aimed at better informing national strategies and cross-country collaboration.
“Managing health workforce migration is not about closing borders – it’s about finding shared solutions that protect and strengthen health systems across the Region,” said Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of Country Health Policies and Systems at WHO/Europe. “With the strong support of the European Commission, we are committed to helping the 5 countries in the Eastern Partnership to turn the challenge of migration into an opportunity for mutual benefit.”
“The migration of health workers – within and across regions – is a reality we cannot ignore. In the WHO European Region, it’s reshaping the sustainability and performance of health systems across borders. Young professionals are leaving their home countries, often seeking better conditions and career opportunities,” Dr Azzopardi-Muscat added.
Dr Ala Nemerenco, Minister of Health of the Republic of Moldova, opened the meeting by highlighting the Moldovan experience of this phenomenon.
“Human resources are the most valuable asset of any state,” Dr Nemerenco said. “Since the early 2000s, Moldova’s development has been significantly impacted by prolonged economic and political challenges, leading to the migration of over 1 million citizens, including a considerable number of health-care professionals. This has resulted in a substantial loss to the health system. To address migration, we have implemented in recent years motivational policies aimed at retaining health personnel, including investments in modern infrastructure, advanced equipment and health-care digitalization. That is why it is essential to identify together effective solutions to ensure that all health systems remain resilient and efficient.”
“Health workforce migration is one of the defining challenges of our time – it affects sending and receiving countries alike, and requires collaborative solutions that are fair, sustainable and grounded in solidarity. No country can face it alone. Regional cooperation and aligned strategies are key to building sustainable health systems and balanced mobility. The EU remains a reliable partner in building resilient health systems and sustainable workforce solutions across the Eastern Partnership region,” said Julda Kielyte, Team Leader for Competitive Inclusive Growth at the EU Delegation in the Republic of Moldova.
Event notice
As part of the “Health Resilience in the Eastern Partnership” programme, funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), WHO/Europe will convene a technical workshop in Chisinau, Moldova on 12–13 June 2025 on the topic of health workforce migration. The event, titled “Subregional technical workshop on health workforce migration in the Eastern Partnership countries”, will gather key stakeholders from the 5 countries which are part of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine – to address health workforce migration and its impact on workforce sustainability in this subregion.
To promote an open dialogue among all countries, participants from a group of receiving European countries will also attend the meeting to discuss solutions to address health workforce migration, ensuring that there are benefits for both sending and receiving countries.
The event will focus on identifying effective policy responses and collaborative solutions to ensure health systems remain resilient and sustainable considering increasing workforce mobility across the WHO European Region.
Discussions at the event will also inform the development of 5 new case studies on health workforce migration in the 5 countries.
Why a workshop on health workforce migration?
Health workforce migration is a serious challenge in the 5 EaP countries – with a significant portion of health workers migrating, a rapidly ageing workforce with over 40% of medical doctors over the age of 55, and below-average production of graduates in some of the countries. This is driven by a mix of factors, including the prospect of better pay and working conditions and, generally, an increasing reliance on international health professionals.
As the migration of health workers is likely to continue, it is crucial to ensure a mutual understanding of the full scale of migration trends and flow patterns, and the ways that international instruments and country-level interventions can be effective at addressing the migration of health workers.
In this regard, a platform for open dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, including policy-makers, international experts and representatives from the 5 EaP as well as receiving countries, is essential to discuss ways in which health workforce migration can benefit receiving and sending countries.
Event format and objectives
The technical workshop will consist of a mix of technical presentations and discussions on the following key areas:
- trends in health workforce migration: understanding the migration dynamics in the EaP countries and their impact on health systems;
- effective policy responses: identifying innovative measures to manage workforce migration, including strategies for better regulation, recruitment, retention and integration of international health professionals;
- collaboration for sustainability: exploring opportunities for collaboration between sending and receiving countries to develop sustainable solutions for workforce migration; and
- regional cooperation: identifying specific actions for regional collaboration aimed at improving health workforce sustainability and enhancing health system resilience.
Background
Health workforce migration is a priority area in the “Framework for action on the health and care workforce in the WHO European Region 2023–2030”. The Framework stresses the importance of policy actions to ensure the retention of health workers on one hand while also ensuring effective health workforce planning mechanisms.
Various global and national initiatives have been put in place to manage migration flows, including WHO’s Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel and bilateral agreements between countries. However, the challenge remains to ensure that the migration of health workers benefits both sending and receiving countries while safeguarding health system resilience.