Working for Health accelerates progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) and the 2030 Agenda by catalysing the expansion and transformation of the global health and social workforce through intersectoral actions, sustainable investments and institutional capacity building. The unprecedented doubling in demand for 40 million new health and social sectors jobs by 2030 in primarily wealthier countries occurs alongside the projected shortfall of 18 million health workers in mostly poorer countries. This strategic intersectoral programme converts workforce demand, supply and need mismatches into powerful socio-economic dividends through quality education, decent work and inclusive growth, particularly for women and youth. .

The Working for Health five-year action plan (http://www.who.int/hrh/com-heeg/action-plan-annexes/en/) deliverables will support Member States to translate the recommendations of the UNSGs High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth (hereinafter, the Commission) into action, and also realize related goals of WHOs Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health and the Global Strategic Directions for Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery. The deliverables will be organized through five workstreams that respond to the available global strategies and recommendations, with priorities set for each year through operational planning processes. 1. Advocacy, social dialogue and policy dialogue. Galvanizing political support and momentum and building intersectoral commitment at the global, regional and national levels, and strengthening social dialogue and policy dialogue for investments and action. 2. Data, evidence and accountability. Strengthening data and evidence through implementation of the national health workforce accounts and the Global Health Labour Market Data Exchange; enhancing accountability through monitoring, review and action; and strengthening knowledge management. 3. Education, skills and jobs. Accelerating the implementation of intersectoral national health workforce strategies designed to achieve a sustainable health workforce. 4. Financing and investments. Supporting Member States in catalysing sustainable financing for increased investments in health and social workforces through financing reforms and increased domestic and international resources. 5. International labour mobility. Facilitating policy dialogue, analysis and institutional capacity-building to maximize mutual benefits from international labour mobility. The implementation of the five-year action plan will follow the key principles of: (a) supporting the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (b) being guided by United Nations General Assembly resolutions, World Health Assembly resolutions, normative frameworks and instruments, and International Labour Standards (c) being country-led and driven, with the agencies working in close consultation with governments, employers and workers organizations as well as other key partners at the country, regional and global levels (d) focusing on making an impact and achieving tangible results at the country level and in key sectors (e) combining immediate action and longer-term strengthening of laws, policies and institutions (f) making full use of institutional mandates, strengths and value-added activities across three agencies without duplication; including utilizing existing initiatives, knowledge platforms, networks and lessons learned, particularly those related to education and skills, gender equality, youth employment and decent work, health emergencies amongst others (g) harnessing and building on credible data and analysis to monitor progress and impact at the national, regional and global levels.

The leadership and stewardship role of Member States and other key stakeholders are critical to implementation of the Commissions recommendations in line with WHOs global strategy on human resources for health and guided by resolution WHA69.19 (2016) adopting that strategy and the United Nations General Assemblys resolution 71/159 (2016) on Global health and foreign policy: health employment and economic growth. All stakeholders have an important role to play and must work together across sectors of education, health, labour, finance and foreign affairs to invest in and transform current health workforce models to be sustainable and fit-for-purpose. Country ownership, all-of-government approaches, social dialogue and outreach to other partners are essential foundations for the implementation of the Commissions recommendations. With this programme ILO, OECD and WHO, together with other partners and global initiatives working on relevant goals of the 2030 Agenda can support and facilitate country-driven action through global public goods and targeted technical cooperation and institutional capacity-building, particularly in priority countries. By joining forces ILO, OECD and WHO will be better able to work with Member States and stakeholders in the formulation of comprehensive, intersectoral and integrated national health workforce strategies by strengthening capacities for strengthening labour market data, analysis, evidence, concerted tripartite social dialogue and the mobilization of domestic and international resources to implement these. Existing opportunities and mechanisms across agencies will be utilized to the greatest extent possible through available projects, collaborations and initiatives, and strengthening international, SouthSouth and triangular cooperation to streamline efforts towards the implementation of the five-year action plan. The online data exchange and knowledge platform website will serve as a resource to strengthen institutional capacity to expand and transform the health and social workforce by enabling enhanced access to relevant data, analysis, evidence, policies, practices, lessons learned and guidance.

ILO, OECD and WHO will oversee and coordinate the implementation of the five-year action plan through regular decision-making meetings at the senior management level; a Steering Committee of the three organizations is being established for that purpose. Working under the direction of the Steering Committee, a joint Technical Secretariat will be responsible for developing annual operational plans, ensuring effective implementation, communications and knowledge management, stakeholder management, consultative processes, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting. Expertise across the three organizations will be organized into the five workstreams to design and implement the technical strategy required to implement the action plan at national, regional and global levels. A high-level Advisory Committee will provide strategic input and political support. Effective implementation of the five-year action plan will require intersectoral and multistakeholder engagement and collaboration. Regular consultative processes with Member States and key stakeholders will be embedded into the implementation process of the five-year action plan to facilitate input and technical exchange. ILO, OECD and WHO will explore engagement with key stakeholders across sectors at global, regional and national levels as an integral part of conducting their work and drawing on available institutional capacities to derive added value in implementing the action plan in the most effective and efficient way. A website will be established as an online knowledge platform to strengthen intersectoral knowledge management, coordination, analysis, and dissemination of evidence and best practice to inform intersectoral plans, actions and investments. The Global Health Workforce Network, coordinated by WHO at the request of Member States, will serve as a mechanism across all workstreams to engage other United Nations agencies, organizations and stakeholders across sectors in the implementation process of the five-year action plan at national, regional and global levels.

ILO, OECD, WHO