The COVID-19 pandemic and previous public health emergencies have exposed health system weaknesses around the world. Many countries have struggled to deliver essential public health functions - the most cost-effective, comprehensive and sustainable way to enhance people's health and reduce the burden of disease.

The public health workforce is at the heart of this effort. Yet, the essential role and impact of the workforce involved in delivering these functions has been overlooked. This has led to disparities within and across countries and regions, and fragmented approaches to public health workforce development in terms of policies, planning, implementation, and monitoring. Health workforce challenges have been a critical barrier to maintaining essential health services and delivering COVID-19 response activities.

Building from the consensus in the Italian G20 in 2021, WHO and many of the world’s leading public health organizations and schools have collaborated to develop a roadmap for strengthening the public health and emergency workforce.

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