A WHO technical meeting for small countries in the European Region is being held in Malta. This meeting is focusing primarily on planning and forecasting the workforce in the health sector in countries that are part of the WHO’s Small Country Initiatives.
It was discussed how in the last months significant progress has been made by these small countries, in the development and implementation of the national Human Resources for Health (HRH) strategies. The provision of managerial and technical support for the development of tools necessary for the implementation of these strategies was also discussed.
In his speech, the Minister for Health and Active Aging Jo Etienne Abela explained how Malta benefited from similar technical support, which led to the creation of a tool for workers and professionals in the health field. He stressed how this facilitates long-term planning and forecasting related to human resources. He said how this tool, developed through the collaboration between the WHO and the working group from the Ministry of Health of Malta, was instrumental in assisting health professionals in planning for future needs.
Minister Abela said how this discussion goes with the Health Workforce Strategy 2022-2030 launched in October 2022, which includes a comprehensive plan that leads to strategic decisions when it comes to workers in the health field, through initiatives related to workforce planning, skills utilization, and the well-being of health professionals.
“It is an honor for Malta to be hosting this technical meeting for the first time. Such meetings help the countries concerned to discuss the challenges that as small countries we find to work together in favor of a solution for the benefit of our patients,” concluded Minister Abela.
Photo: MHA
