14 March 2023—WHPA has been invited to contribute its expertise and represent the voices of health professionals around the world at the WHO’s Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health. Through a parallel session on the impacts of Covid on the professions, the WHPA is ensuring that WHO officials, policy makers and civil society actors take on board the needs and concerns of health professionals on the ground. Make sure you tune in to this virtual event by registering today!
Covid Impacts on the Health Workforce Past, Present and Future (Parallel Session)
Date: Monday 3 April 2023
Time: 10.45am – 12.15pm CET
Place: Online
REGISTER HERE
The influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health workforce and service provision continues to make itself felt. Starting with a brief presentation of a WHPA-WHO report on evidence collected by WHPA organizations on the impacts of Covid on their members during the pandemic, speakers from the five WHPA member organizations will discuss three key outcomes of the pandemic, sharing which policies and tools the WHPA is advocating for in the post-Covid context.
- The need for mental health support for health professionals
- Increased demand for health services
- Changing scope of practice
WHPA Panel
- Ihsane Ben Yahya, President of FDI World Dental Federation
- Chima Amadi, International Pharmaceutical Federation
- Karen Bjøro, 2nd Vice President of the International Council of Nurses
- Osahon Enabulele, President of World Medical Association
- Melissa Locke, Vice President of World Physiotherapy
Documenting the impacts of Covid on health professionals: WHPA-WHO report
The event will kick off with a short presentation by Howard Catton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses, of a new joint WHPA-WHO report, What the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed: the findings of five global health workforce professions, published as part of the WHO’s Human Resources for Health Observer Series. The report presents concrete evidence of the impact of Covid on the professions as documented by surveys carried out by WHPA member organizations during the pandemic. Key findings include:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the urgent need to protect and safeguard health professionals.
- Deliberate and immediate engagement with health professionals at the national planning, policy and finance levels should occur.
- We need investment in systemic strategies to concretely address the chronic violence in health care settings.
This evidence synthesis is the first of its kind to assess the multidimensional impact of COVID-19 on five major health professionals globally. It demonstrates the important role that WHPA can play by investigating, representing its members, and creating linkages between health systems strengthening and response priorities within the health sector to contribute to improved protection for health professionals.
What is the Global Forum?
The WHO periodically brings the world’s human resources for health community together at strategic points in time to review progress and set its sights on new goals and challenges. In 2023 we are at a crossroads where implementation of the WHO’s 2016 Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health meets the post-pandemic workforce. The Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health is taking place on 3-5 April 2023.
As well as an extensive programme of virtual parallel sessions, there is a series of in-person events taking place at WHO Headquarters in Geneva on invitation only. Top-level representatives of WHPA member organizations have been invited to attend the in-person events where they will be able to network and influence the dialogue between policy makers, non-governmental organizations and public health research stakeholders on their priorities related to support for, and protection of, health professionals.