Getting a GRIP on the WHO Road map for public health workforce development : the work of the WFPHA_GNAPH implementation group
1
Office of the President, Global Network for Academic Public Health, Washington DC, United States
2
Professional education and training group, World Federation of Public Health Associations, Geneva, Switzerland
3
Health workforce, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
4
Chief Executives office, International Association of National Public Health Institutes, Berlin, Germany
5
CAPHRI, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
6
Office of the President and Chief Executive, Association of Schools of Public Health, Washington DC, United States
7
Mayibuye Health, Mayibuye Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
8
LOOOP, Network Institute of Research in Health Sciences Education Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
9
Office of the Chief Executive, Tropical Institute of Community Health and Development, Kenya., Kisumu, Kenya
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
From pandemic experience, there has been international recognition of the need to strengthen public health workforces, systems and professional practice.
METHODS:
a road map process The WHO and partner Roadmap for the Public Health workforce, including emergencies, involves 70+ key global health organisations including the WFPHA and GNAPH.1 with commitment reiterated by the 2024 World Health Assembly. 2 years’ work culminated in the 2024 guidance ‘National workforce capacity for essential public health functions: A roadmap.Collection’2, This contextualises the Essential Public Health Functions (EPHFs), enumeration of the workforce, and strengthening competency-based education to employment pathways. The competencies and outcomes framework, developed as a research synthesis of competency and curriculum lists from more than 120 international sources and 100+ individual experts, identifies the behavioural competencies that unite the workforce, as well as the activities and tasks towards the different EPHFs.3 An implementation group, led by WFPHA and GNAPH, was set up in 2024. It has an action plan for 2025-20274.
RESULTS:
case studies of implementation of competencies and outcomes The workshop will present examples from: national health bodies: China, Ireland, UK, South Africa; from regional bodies: Africa, (ASPHA), Europe, (ASPHER), USA, (ASPPH), (Eastern Mediterranean); from public health disciplines: health promotion, environmental health and field epidemiology; and LOOOP health curriculum mapping. There will also be contributions from WHO and IANPHI.
CONCLUSIONS:
Public health systems, services, and professional practice need continual improvement. For the first time there is a globally agreed toolkit for competencies for public health systems and individual practice and lists for curricula. It is in all our interests as a public health community to implement these as fully as we can, contextualised to local and regional needs and delivering consistent and high-quality service, for the protection and improvement of health of people and planet.
From pandemic experience, there has been international recognition of the need to strengthen public health workforces, systems and professional practice.
METHODS:
a road map process The WHO and partner Roadmap for the Public Health workforce, including emergencies, involves 70+ key global health organisations including the WFPHA and GNAPH.1 with commitment reiterated by the 2024 World Health Assembly. 2 years’ work culminated in the 2024 guidance ‘National workforce capacity for essential public health functions: A roadmap.Collection’2, This contextualises the Essential Public Health Functions (EPHFs), enumeration of the workforce, and strengthening competency-based education to employment pathways. The competencies and outcomes framework, developed as a research synthesis of competency and curriculum lists from more than 120 international sources and 100+ individual experts, identifies the behavioural competencies that unite the workforce, as well as the activities and tasks towards the different EPHFs.3 An implementation group, led by WFPHA and GNAPH, was set up in 2024. It has an action plan for 2025-20274.
RESULTS:
case studies of implementation of competencies and outcomes The workshop will present examples from: national health bodies: China, Ireland, UK, South Africa; from regional bodies: Africa, (ASPHA), Europe, (ASPHER), USA, (ASPPH), (Eastern Mediterranean); from public health disciplines: health promotion, environmental health and field epidemiology; and LOOOP health curriculum mapping. There will also be contributions from WHO and IANPHI.
CONCLUSIONS:
Public health systems, services, and professional practice need continual improvement. For the first time there is a globally agreed toolkit for competencies for public health systems and individual practice and lists for curricula. It is in all our interests as a public health community to implement these as fully as we can, contextualised to local and regional needs and delivering consistent and high-quality service, for the protection and improvement of health of people and planet.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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