WHPA urges WHO to maintain strong leadership on health workforce

The WHPA leadership is demanding that WHO continue to provide support and investment in the health workforce despite recent funding cuts and organizational restructuring. They are deeply concerned about the shake-up at WHO which has left the Health Workforce Department severely reduced in size and subsumed under the WHO Academy, WHO’s newly established learning provider.

“To effectively support and strengthen health professionals, we need leadership and reliable expertise in areas like workforce planning, retention and recruitment as well as international migration and workforce shortages. We strongly encourage WHO to continue to provide visible leadership and global expertise on health workforce issues,” said Dr Otmar Kloiber, Chair of WHPA and Secretary General of the World Medical Association in a strongly worded open letter from the WHPA leadership to the WHO’s Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

WHPA leaders are particularly concerned about the timing of the restructuring. At least three major challenges loom over future conditions for the health workforce: a projected health workforce shortage of 11 million by 2030; the ever-present danger of the next pandemic; and increasing conflicts and disasters where health professionals often risk their lives to save others. With this letter, WHPA is advocating against WHO de-prioritizing health workforce issues and the disastrous results it would have for health professionals around the world.

Read the letter here