73rd WHO Regional Committee for Europe: statement on health and care workforce

Wemos and other non-State actors (NSAs) in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) urge WHO EURO member states to cease the international competition for skilled health workers, and to work together to improve working conditions for health workers, so they can deliver the best possible health care for all European citizens. This is one of our asks in our live statement – presented by our global health advocate Corinne Hinlopen – on the WHO European Framework for Action on the health and care workforce 2023–2030, at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in Astana, Kazakhstan (24-26 October). We also strongly support the new Framework for Action and congratulate the WHO EURO member states on the resolution to intensify efforts to face the health workforce challenges affecting us all.

Due to time constraints, the live statement was a shortened version of our full statement. Watch the recording of Corinne’s live statement on YouTube below (at 1:28:56). The full statement is available via the button at the bottom of this page.

Note: this version of the full statement contains more endorsements from NSAs than the original statement that we had submitted. We express our concern and regret WHO EURO Secretariat’s decision that NSAs not physically attending the meeting, were not allowed to submit, nor endorse, a (joint) statement (whether written, recorded or oral). In our view, this decision unacceptably reduces space for civil society to let their voices be heard. It also resulted in a relatively low number of endorsers for our official statement, which is set straight with this new version.

Global health advocate Corinne Hinlopen reads the live statement on the WHO European Framework for Action on the health and care workforce 2023–2030 on behalf of non-State actors in official relations with WHO.

Concrete steps to put Europe’s health workforce at the heart of the Framework for Action

In summary, we ask member states to:

1. cease the international competition for skilled health and care workers, and to work together to provide them with optimal working conditions,
2. tailor their health workforce strategies to their specific population needs,
3. prioritize people-centred primary healthcare and reduce health inequities,
4. upgrade the status and societal appreciation of all categories of health and care workers, and
5. invest in safe and secure working environments, appropriate support staff, streamlined administrative processes and continued professional development.

Visit this page for more information about the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, such as a livestream and social media coverage (hashtag: #RC73Astana).