Health workforce in the Eastern Mediterranean Region from COVID-19 lessons to action

1. Health workforce in the Eastern
Mediterranean Region: from
COVID-19 lessons to action
Dr Gulin Gedik
Coordinator, Health Workforce
11 October 2023

2. 90%
of countries
faced disruption
of essential
health services
due to
COVID-19
66%
of countries
reported health
workforce-
related reasons
as the most
common cause
of service
disruptions

3. Progress on the SDGs
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2015
3.c Substantially increase
….the recruitment,
development, training and
retention of the health
workforce…

4. The Region will face a
shortage of 2.1 million
health workers in 2030

5. Density per 10 000 population
Density of physicians, nurses and midwives in the
Eastern Mediterranean Region (2021)
Region African
Eastern
Mediterranean
Americas
South-East
Asia
Western
Pacific
Countries 37 6 4 3 8
Six countries in the Region are on the WHO Health
Workforce Support and Safeguards list (2023)

6. Ongoing challenges Need for further
attention in
post-COVID era
◎ Overall shortages,
imbalances in skill mix and
distribution
◎ Inadequate production
capacities
◎ Low productivity,
absenteeism and dual
practice
◎ Limited governance and
regulation capacities
◎ Insufficient information
and evidence
COVID-19
Changing context
◎ Employment capacity
◎ Primary care
workforce and health
workforce to deliver
essential public health
functions and
emergencies
◎ Use of digital tools
◎ International mobility
of health workers
◎ Health and well-being
of health workers

8. Halfway towards deadline for achieving the SDGs
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
Protracted crisis

9. Strategic objective 1
Develop and implement health workforce strategic plans based on
understanding of health labour markets
Education Attrition
Recruitment, Employment
Strategic
objective 2
Strengthen
capacities for
health governance
and regulation
Strategic
objective 3
Mobilize and align
investment in
health workforce to
meet current and
future needs
Strategic
objective 4
Strengthen health
workforce information
and evidence base for
designing,
implementing and
monitoring health
workforce strategic
plans
Overview of the framework for action for health
workforce development in the Eastern Mediterranean
Region (20172030)

10. Halfway towards deadline for achieving the SDGs
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
Protracted crisis Second half?
Time for ACTION

11. Call for action
Accelerate actions to enhance and scale up a
fit-for-purpose health workforce

12. Call for action: Key asks
Accelerate implementation of
Regional framework for action
Mobilize investments in
education and jobs
Transform health professionals’
education
Protect and safeguard health
workers
Strengthen health workforce for
primary care, essential public health
functions
and emergency response
Adapt practice and education to
digital transformation
Address international mobility
and retention of health workers
Foster regional solidarity

13. INVEST &
EMPOWER
Our health workforce.
Our future