WHO projects that the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region will account for more than 20% of the estimated global shortfall of 10 million health workers by 2030. The need to invest in scaling up production capacities for various types of health professionals is increasingly urgent.

Efforts to scale up health professional education and training must not only increase the quantity of health workers but also address issues of quality and relevance. This will support the creation of health workforces that have the knowledge and skills to respond to the health needs of the communities they serve. In turn, this strengthens health systems and improves population health outcomes.

The expansion and reform of health professional education and training must be sustainable to be transformative.

Related links

Medical education: a framework for action for the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Global standards for initial education of professional nurses and midwives

Review of medical education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: challenges, priorities and a framework for action

WHO guidelines on transforming and scaling up health professionals’ education and training

A guide to nursing and midwifery education standards

Nursing and midwifery: A guide to professional regulation

Nursing education in the Eastern Mediterranean: Guidelines on future directions

Nursing education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Prototype technical nursing curriculum

Nursing education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Prototype baccalaureate nursing curriculum