Washington, D.C., 9 November 2023 (PAHO)—The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) hosted the webinar on “Transforming Health Professionals’ Education by 2030” to address relevant issues in the education of health professionals. More than 880 participants from 62 countries worldwide participated in the event.
National authorities and high-level international experts in the field of human resources for health and education discussed their perspectives and experiences on the evolution of health workforce education, identifying current trends leading its transformation, as well as re-examining and potentially redesigning health professionals’ education in the Americas.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we are witnessing a seismic shift in the recognition of the health workforce and an urgency to invest in health professionals, especially in the education of health workers, so that they can respond to the complex array of healthcare needs and demands in the 21st century,” said Ronda Sealey-Thomas, PAHO’s Assistant Director.
Benjamin Puertas, Chief of the Human Resources for Health Unit at PAHO, presented the Policy on the Health Workforce 2030: Strengthening Human Resources for Health to Achieve Resilient Health Systems recently approved by Members States. “It is important that we can review and understand the proposed Policy’s strategic lines of action, in particular those related to capacity building and education of the health workforce, and, of course, PAHO being fully committed to supporting the countries in this challenge,” he said.
The discussions covered an array of aspects in the transformation of education, ranging from the governance itself, to interprofessional education, the role of digital transformation, a competency-based curricula, analyzing the participation of professional associations, the private sector, the role of academic institutions, and finally the articulation and intersection between the education and health sector.
The outcomes of the discussions during this high-level webinar are expected to offer further guidance in alignment to PAHO’s current Policy and its efforts to strengthen and rebuilding the health workforce within all levels of the health system, and its integrated health service networks based on primary health care.
“This is just the beginning of a path that we will continue to travel together in incorporating all these transformations [in education] that are so necessary in the new social, epidemiological, and environmental scenario not only experienced by our Region, but the whole planet,’’ said Cecilia Acuña, advisor on Health Workforce Policy at PAHO.
“PAHO remains committed to strengthening the capacity of health professionals through the Americas. We continue to work with health, labor, and education sectors, in the improvement of curricula for health professionals, and with professional associations, universities and collaborating centers, in the development of standards and methodologies that will ensure quality of care for all,” concluded Ronda Sealey-Thomas.
The webinar recording is available here.
