Strengthening the foundation: a Human Resources for Health Action Plan to Support Universal Health Coverage in the Americas. Chapter II

Publication year: 2013

The Unit of Human Resources for Health at PAHO is leading an initiative to develop a regional agenda for action in matters of human resources for health post-2015. The new Human Resources for Health (HRH) regional agenda will contribute to and address the major challenges related to evolving population health needs, the renewal of primary health care (PHC) and the objective of universal health coverage in the region of the Americas. The development of the new HRH agenda will build on the experience of the current decade of HRH launched in Toronto, Canada, in 2005 with its Call for Action, structured along five critical challenges confronting the Region. It will consider the progress made in achieving the Regional Goals for HRH 2007-2015 and the evaluation of national capacities in designing and implementing priority programs in HRH. It is anticipated that the new agenda will focus primarily on the policy options to deal effectively with the critical HRH obstacles to universal health coverage through the strengthening of a PHC-based health system. A consultative process will be developed to involve the Member States of the Organization in the formation of the regional agenda in 2014. The agenda will align with PAHO’s Strategic Plan in HRH, 2014-17, and with the priorities and directions adopted by PAHO’s Directing Council in September, 2013 (technical document CD52/6). (AU)