Impact of COVID-19 on human resources for health and policy response: the case of Plurinational State of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru

Overview of findings from five Latin American countries

In the International Year of Health and Care Workers (2021) and in an effort to support countries in the design and implementation of strategies to address health workers’ problems during COVID-19, WHO’s Health Workforce Department and PAHO Sub-regional Programme for South America supported the development and analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on health workers and the policy responses via a number of country case studies.

This paper offers a systematization of the policies and strategies adopted by the participating countries to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on HRH from five South American country case studies: Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It looks at the impact of COVID-19 on the health, occupational safety and working conditions of the HWF and on the strategies and mechanisms used by these countries to increase, maintain and protect human resources for health (HRH), in terms of their availability, training, protection, welfare, remuneration and financing.