• English
• Français
• Deutsch
• Pусский

In recent years, the WHO Regional Committee for Europe has endorsed two resolutions addressing health workforce policies in the Region. The Regional Committee highlighted the consensus that exists on the prevailing global crisis in human resources for health and responsibilities of Member States for the development of their national health workforce policies and plans and the need for collective efforts to tackle international migration.  

• Resolution EUR/RC57/R1 (2007) on health workforce policies urged Member States to improve information and knowledge base on their health workforce and to develop national health workforce policies, plans and strategies. It requested the Regional Director to facilitate the development and contribution to a global code of practice for the international recruitment of health personnel.  
• Resolution EUR/RC59/R4 (2009) urged Member States to enforce their efforts to develop and implement sustainable health workforce policies, strategies and plans as a critical component of health systems strengthening, particularly in view of the changing demographics and health care needs in the Region. The resolution calls to advocate the adoption of a global code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel in line with the European values of solidarity, equity and participation, both within the WHO European Region and globally.

The Tallinn Charter calls for investment in the health workforce, as it has implications not only for the investing country but for others due to the mobility of health professionals. The international recruitment of health workers should be guided by ethical considerations and cross-country solidarity.

New strategies are needed to enhance the effectiveness of health workers, and Member States should provide leadership in planning, formulating and implementing the required policies.