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The Health workforce (HWF) includes all those
people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance health.
Competent, motivated and committed health workforce form the core of an
effective and efficient health system. Health system reforms can bring about
intended benefits only when there is effective and optimum health workforce
management. The Member countries of the South East-Asia Region have been
challenged by the occurrence of emerging infectious diseases such as SARS and
avian influenza as well as a spate of natural disasters in the past two
decades. The health workforce in the Member countries of the South-East Asia
Region is challenged to address the growing burden of both acute and chronic
diseases which require continuum of care as well as to maintain the requisite
preparedness for public health emergencies. The health workforce situation is
made worse by the unrelenting international migration of health personnel
from developing to more developed nation leaving a negative impact on the
countries of origin of the personnel.
WHO studies have revealed that the South- East
Asia Region, home of approximately 25% of the world’s population, with almost
30% of global diseases burden has only 10% of global health workforce due to
its high population density (World Health Report 2006: Working together for
Health). Mindful of this problem the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office
developed the “Regional Strategic Plan
for Health Workforce Development in the South-East Asia Region” which was
endorsed by the Governments of the eleven member states during the 59th
Session of the Regional Committee held in Dhaka
in 2006. The Dhaka Declaration: to
strengthen health workforce in countries of the South East Asia Region
and the resolution (SEA/RC 59/R6) recognizes the crucial importance of human
resources for health and its problems and the outlines the commitment of
member states to develop national policies and regulations to enhance
adequate number of HWF in service delivery through systematic development of
medium term and long term plans.
Vision
Member countries of the South-East Asia Region
to achieve optimum health outcomes by ensuring equitable access to effective
health services through a balanced distribution of sufficient, competent,
committed and highly motivated health workforce.
Goal
To exert a coordinated effort to assist Member
countries in human resources development for health with a view to develop a
health workforce which is responsive to health needs of the population.
Strategic
Objectives
 Ensure that health workforce planning and
development based on sound evidence continue to be integral components of
national development plans of Member countries;
Support members to scale-up production of
high-quality health workforce in a changing service environment;
Strengthen stewardship and management of
health systems to ensure delivery of cost-effective services through a highly
motivated workforce, and
Provide a platform where Member countries of
the Region can share their experiences while assisting each other in health
workforce development.
HRH Profile Priority areas of work in 2008-2009 HRH Activities implemented/planned Strengthening Health Workforce Education
and Training (Scaling Up, Saving Lives: Task Force for Scaling Up Education
and Training for Health Workers, Global Health Workforce Alliance
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