The Global meeting of human resources for health (HRH) observatories: evidence-informed HRH policies – the contribution of HRH observatories, was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 4 to 7 July 2011.
The meeting was the first opportunity for those involved in establishing HRH observatories around the world to come together and share experiences and ideas, and develop a common purpose in taking forward the utilization of HRH observatories as an effective way of informing and supporting health workforce policy. The time was opportune to take stock of the experience of observatories thus far, as the demand for the types of data analysis and policy support that such institutions can provide increases.
The meeting developed a Plan of Action for HRH observatories focusing on three levels. At country level, it is expected that the World Health Organization (WHO) and different partners could promote the HRH observatory approach and its core functions where they are not yet developed. It is also envisaged to scale up the HRH observatory capacity, investing in HRH information, information systems and technical skills.
At regional and subregional levels, efforts should focus on the transfer of knowledge, standardization of tools, technical support and cooperation, comparative metrics and benchmarking.
Finally, at global level, WHO and other international agencies and partners should focus on coordinating efforts by convening virtual and face-to-face meetings, networking, and by aligning donor support (aid effectiveness) and policy analysis, which focuses on priority countries, and priority inter-regional and global HRH issues.
