Managing Human Resources for Health

Why We Care About the Migration of Health Workers

The global shortage of health workers has presented a crisis that impedes access to basic health services around the world. In many developing nations, the health workforce crisis is exacerbated by the migration of health practitioners to developed nations, where there is an increasing reliance on foreign workers to provide access to health workers. Medical advances and older populations in developed nations have led to serious health workforce shortages that are projected to last for decades to come.

About the Health Worker Migration Initiative

HWMI is the secretariat of The Health Worker Migration Council, a taskforce of high-level policy makers from sending and receiving nations and experts that was established in 2007 to review and promote global, regional, and national policy action to support the more ethical management of global health worker migration.

What We Are Doing to Manage Health Worker Migration

The Health Worker Migration Policy Council (the “Council”) has put forward leading analysis and recommendations for policy solutions and has mobilized global action to more effectively manage health worker migration to benefit all. In addition, the Council has created a conversation series highlighting case studies, policy briefs, and firms based on narratives, interviews, and research that inspire action and give Member States examples of solutions to address health worker migration. The series targets decision makers from Member States who are faced with addressing the challenges of health worker migration.