Governance and regulation

Universal health coverage and health systems (UHS) | Health workforce | Governance and regulation

Section menu

Universal health coverage and health systems (UHS) » Health workforce » Governance and regulation

Governance and regulation

Health workforce policies, strategies and plans provide a medium- or long-term vision to address the health workforce challenges in a given country or territory. Such plans aim to optimize the availability, accessibility, acceptability, quality and performance of the health workforce, based on knowledge of labour market dynamics.

Every country and territory in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region should have a comprehensive health workforce strategic plan. Many are yet to develop such a plan, however. Adequate governance capacities are critical to the ability to develop, implement and sustain health workforce strategic plans that require input from multiple sectors.

Effective coordination among stakeholders is crucial to plan and implement health workforce strategies and management. In turn, effective governance structures are needed to ensure the availability of mechanisms and platforms for stakeholder collaboration. Many entities have a critical role in addressing health workforce challenges. These include ministries of health, education, finance and civil service/labour; professional councils and associations; and academic institutions.

The private sector and other non-state actors are involved more and more in the education and employment of health workers. This makes it even more important to enforce and strengthen regulation of both health professional education and practice.

Regional Committee resolutions

EM/RC66/R.3
Strengthening the nursing workforce to advance universal health coverage in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC64/R.1
Annual report of the Regional Director
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC62/R.4
Medical education: a framework for action
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC60/R.2
Universal health coverage
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC59/R.3
Health systems strengthening in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region: challenges, priorities and options for future action
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC56/R.10
A World Health Organization code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC55/R.5
Promoting nursing and midwifery development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC50/R.9
Accreditation of hospitals and medical education institutions
English |

EM/RC49/R.11
Health professions education
English |

EM/RC45/R.12
Improving the quality of nursing and midwifery in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English |

EM/RC41/R.10
The need for national planning for nursing and midwifery in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English |

EM/RC35/R.10
Report on progress in health manpower development in the Region
English |

Technical papers

EM/RC66/4
Strengthening the nursing workforce to advance universal health coverage in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC60/Tech.Disc.2
Towards universal health coverage: challenges, opportunities and roadmap
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC59/Tech.Disc.1
Health systems strengthening in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region:challenges, priorities and options for future action
English | Arabic | French

EM/RC56/Background paper
A World Health Organization code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel
English |

EM/RC55/Tech.Disc.
Promoting nursing and midwifery development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English |

EM/RC50/Tech.Disc.
Accreditation of hospitals and medical education institutions
English |

EM/RC49/Tech.Disc.
Health professions education
English |

EM/RC41/Tech.Disc.
The need for national planning for nursing and midwifery in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English |

EM/RC35/Tech.Disc.
Report on progress in health manpower development in the Region
English |