Breaking Barriers: Health Workforce Policies for Pandemic Response and Preparedness

Sponsored by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and partners

COVID-19 has upended health systems around the world. Now, more than 18 months into the pandemic, health leaders have a clearer perspective of what works and what doesn’t work in pandemic response and preparedness. Governments, ministries of health, and civil society organizations (CSOs) have identified innovative health workforce policies and practices to respond to COVID-19, distribute COVID-19 vaccinations, and continue delivery of essential health services. From Africa to Asia, there are valuable lessons to share about how a resilient and responsive global health workforce can bolster health systems to restore essential health services and improve pandemic preparedness.

Sponsored by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and partners alongside the 76th UN General Assembly, this two-part event will convene government leaders and CSO representatives to share their most effective policy wins — and losses — over the last year and a half.

PART ONE, on September 21, from 9:00 AM-10:15 AM EDT, will be a frank discussion with government leaders from different continents on how their health worker policies pivoted to respond to COVID-19 and what they would do differently in the event of a future health crises.