The Global Health Workforce Alliance Strategy 2013-2016

The Global Health Workforce Alliance (The Alliance)’s vision, that "all people everywhere will have access to a skilled, motivated and supported health worker, within a robust health system", is supported by its activities to achieve its mandate during 2013-2016, outlined as a progressive transition of functions in this strategy document.

The Alliance is a partnership of national governments, civil society, international agencies, finance institutions, researchers, educators, and professional associations. Created in 2006 to address the challenges related to the shortage, mal-distribution, migration, and the inadequate working environment of health workers, the Alliance has adapted its current mission to the environment in which it operates: "to advocate and catalyse country and global actions to address human resources for health [HRH] challenges, contributing towards and beyond the health-related Millennium Development Goals and for universal health coverage."

As stated in the document, communication-related achievements include:

• Advocacy for HRH mainstreaming into the health policy and development discourse.
• Inclusion of HRH-specific language and targets in the UN Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s countries where there is a focus on health;
• Information sharing including two global forums on human resources for health, organised in collaboration with Alliance members and partners and two regional conferences in Asia and Africa convened as platforms for dialogue among countries;
• A resolution on the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Code of practice on the International Recruitment of Health personnel;
• The Positive Practice Environment Campaign for improved working conditions for health professionals; and
• Knowledge products on health workforce development through thematic task forces.

The following strategies are intended to reach the objectives of enabling HRH solutions, as well as: moving the HRH agenda forward globally; catalysing actions in government and the private sector, civil society, and professional associations; and monitoring accountability and reporting on HRH developments and commitments:

1. Enhanced partnership with member ownership, participation, and contribution.
2. Awards for implementers and advocates.
3. An e-platform for improved communication.
4. Strengthened collaboration with the WHO.
5. Greater uptake of emerging knowledge products developed by task forces.
6. Focus on the 75 countries of the United Nations Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, especially 57 HRH crisis countries.

Goals for 2016 include:

• Commitments to train, deploy, and retain at least an additional 2.6 million health workers;
• Evidence-based quality HRH plans, developed through inclusive mechanisms of coordination among HRH stakeholders and implemented in 75% of the focus countries.
• A long-term vision for HRH embedded in the post-2015 development agenda.
• HRH accountability through monitoring platforms.
• HRH stakeholders mobilised to take proactive roles in support of national health system strengthening agenda.