The “The health and care workforce – from crisis to capacities” webinar series will take place this spring and will focus on how countries can move from managing chronic workforce shortages to building long-term capacity across health and care. It connects evidence and policy debate around three core challenges: how to plan, retain, and transform the workforce, bringing together researchers, practitioners and decision-makers.
Download the programme here.
Registration (free but mandatory): https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/QvPkDFQ2XK
The series is organised by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Policies and Planning, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal), in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Health Policy/Elsevier Publisher, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, EUPHA, the EUPHA section Health and Care Workforce, and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Leadership and Workforce Development, Maastricht University (the Netherlands).
The health and care workforce crisis is worsening at a moment of intensifying global health threats when resilient health systems and a stable workforce are needed more than ever, raising important questions about governments’ capacity to respond to multiple, overlapping crises and new health priorities. This webinar series shifts the focus from crisis to capacities, aligning research, policy and practice. Research evidence from a Special Issue is linked to the policy dialogues established by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and WHO.
Hosted by the WHO Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Policies and Planning in collaboration with the European Observatory on Health Health Systems and Policies, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Health Policy/Elsevier, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Leadership and Workforce Development, the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), and the EUPHA section Health and Care Workforce, this webinar series brings together a broad range of stakeholders. The webinars strengthen dialogue and knowledge exchange with a focus on three major topics: planning, retaining, and transforming the health and care workforce. They contribute new data and evidence providing practical direction for health systems, policymakers, and other leaders to leverage the workforce’s transformative capacities to effectively build a sustainable and resilient workforce for the future.
PROGRAMME
Webinar 1, 5 March, 3.00-4.00h pm CET
Planning the future health and care workforce to adapt effectively to complex shifting realities
Planning is the ‘software’ of health and care workforce development and a prerequisite for sustainability, yet existing scenarios have not prevented the crisis and countries still struggle to account for the complexity, uncertainty, and rapid shifts that shape future workforce needs. This webinar discusses conceptual and practical solutions, considering different levels of intervention and the needs of health systems and frontline workers.
Co-chairs: Ellen Kuhlmann and Tiago Correia, WHO-CC
Panelists
- Gareth Rees, ESAN University Lima, Peru
- Ivy Bourgeault, University of Ottawa, Canada
- Marjolein Dieleman, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Niamh Humphries, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Commentaries
- Sarada Das, Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)
- Michelle Falkenbach, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
- Cris Scotter, WHO Regional Office for Europe
Webinar 2, 15 April 2026, 11.00-12.00am CET
Retaining health and care workers and improving resilience to ensure workforce sustainability
An appropriate stock of health and care workers prepared for future tasks is a key condition, but not sufficient, to respond to the crisis. The key challenge is retaining them in the right places while strengthening resilience and sustainability. These difficulties have intensified as the COVID-19 pandemic increased workloads and stress and worsened the mental health and wellbeing of health and care workers, notably, the vast majority of whom are women. The webinar discusses strategies and needs, considering different environments and stakeholders including the situation of young health professionals.
Co-chairs: Ellen Kuhlmann and Tiago Correia, WHO-CC
Panelists
- Erica Richardson, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London, United Kingdom
- Alicja Domagala, University of Krakow, Poland
- Paul Künzle, Charite University, Berlin, Germany
- Martijn Felder, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Commentaries
- Monica Brinzac, European Public Health Association (EUPHA)
- Ber Oomen, European Specialised Nurses Organisation (ESNO)
- Tomas Zapata, WHO Regional Office for Europe
Webinar 3, 18 May, 3.00-4.00pm
Transforming health systems through health and care workers to build new capacities
Health and care workers are not primarily a problem, but the core capital of health systems. As transformational agents they are crucial to driving innovation, supporting policy reform, advancing equity and inclusiveness in service provision, and strengthening professional innovation and organisational resilience, often generating co-benefits aligned with other policy areas.
Co-chairs: Ellen Kuhlmann and Tiago Correia, WHO-CC
Panelists
- Gabriela Lotta, Getulio Vargas Foundation, São Paulo, Brazil
- Viola Burau, University of Aarhus, Denmark
- Zuzana Kotherová, Charles University Prag, Czechia
- Klaas Stek, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Commentaries
- Katarzyna Czabanowska, WHO Collaboration Centre for Public Health Leadership and Workforce Development
- Marius Ungureanu, EUPHA section Health and Care Workforce
- Matthias Wismar, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Brussels, Belgium
Publications
Editorial; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2025.105548.
Special Issue of Health Policy; https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/10GHMNML3P4
Organisation
Scientific Committee: Ellen Kuhlmann, Institute for Economics, Labour and Culture (IWAK), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany, and Tiago Correia, WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Policies and Planning
Organising Committee: André Beja, WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Policies and Planning; https://whoccworkforce.ihmt.unl.pt/en/
Registration
Everybody welcome who is interested in the health and care workforce and solutions for the crisis!
Participation is free of charge but registration mandatory, please register HERE. Please note, the webinars will be audio-recorded.
