The formulation of national human resources for health policies and strategies requires evidence based planning to rationalize decisions. A range of tools and resources exists to assist countries in developing a national HRH strategic plan. Such plans normally include short and long term targets and cost estimates for scaling up education and training for health workers, reducing workforce imbalances, strengthening the performance of staff, improving staff retention, and adapting to any major health sector reforms, while being harmonized with broader strategies for social and economic development.
The objective of this paper is to take the stock of available methods and tools for health workforce planning and projections, and describe the processes and resources needed to undertake such an exercise.