The Health Workforce in Times of Crisis

In this episode, we discuss the challenges faced by the health workforce in fragile settings such as conflict zones and areas hit by political and economic crises. Our guests share their first-hand experiences and insights on how health systems and workers strive to provide care under extreme conditions. This episode is part of the six-part mini-series "Stories of Resilience: Local Lives and Health Systems," brought to you by ReBUILD for Resilience (see 'useful links' for links to the other episodes from this series).

During this episode, there are repeated references to war and conflict with first-hand experiences of illness and trauma which you may find distressing.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Connecting Citizens to Science

00:42 Introduction to the Health Workforce in Fragile Settings

01:20 Insights from Dr. Nasher Al-Aghbari in Yemen

01:46 Global Challenges with Dr. Jim Campbell

02:32 Welcoming Remarks by Dr. Kim Ozano

02:53 Dr. Wesam Mansour on Health Workers in Gaza

04:08 Dr. Nasher’s Experiences in Yemen

07:39 The Role of WHO with Dr. Jim Campbell

10:53 System vs. Individual Resilience

12:46 International Support and Building Resilience

15:18 Emergency Response vs. Long-Term Efforts

17:21 Health Worker Migration Issues

21:55 Key Advice for Strengthening Resilience

24:48 Concluding Remarks and Call to Action

In this episode:

Dr Wesam Mansour, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK.

Wesam is a physician, a Paediatric and Neonatology Specialist and a Fellow at the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), with a Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management. At Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Wesam is a research associate at the Department of International Public Health. For the ReBUILD programme, she coordinates the work with ReBUILD’s country partners, particularly those in Lebanon.

Dr Nasher Al-Aghbari - Head of Paediatric Department, Al-Thawra General Modern Teaching Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen.

Nasher Al-Aghbari is a paediatric consultant in the Paediatric Department at Al-Thawra General Teaching Modern Hospital in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the Head of the Paediatric Emergency Department. He is also a member of the Teaching Panel in the Arab Board Membership. He has undertaken research for the past 15 years. As part of his Masters degree and PhD at LSTM, Dr. Al-Aghbari worked on blood diseases in children in Africa and Yemen and pulmonary childhood tuberculosis in Yemen.

Mr Jim Campbell - Director of the Health Workforce Department, World Health Organization, Geneva.

Jim Campbell is the Director of the Health Workforce Department at the World Health Organisation. He oversees the development and implementation of global public goods, evidence and tools to inform investments in the education, employment and retention of the health and care workforce in pursuit of global health security, universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Useful links:

• Gender, health systems resilience and equity - Connecting Citizens to Science - In the second episode of a six-part mini-series by ReBUILD for Resilience, we explore the intersection of gender and health systems in fragile settings. Hosted by Kim and co-hosted by Abriti Arjyal from HERD International, the episode features insights from Dr. Rouham Yamout from the American University of Beirut and Dr. Val Percival from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University. The discussion covers the impact of gender dynamics on health systems during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and armed conflicts, emphasising community-led, participatory approaches to promote gender equality and resilience in health systems.
• Revisiting Resilience in Health Systems Research - Connecting Citizens to Science - This conversation is the first part of a mini-series titled 'Stories of Resilience - Local Lives and Health Systems', powered by the ReBUILD for Resilience research consortium. This podcast episode, hosted by Dr. Kim Ozano and co-hosted by Professor Sophie Witter, engages in an insightful discussion on health systems resilience, particularly in fragile settings affected by violence, conflict, pandemics, and other shocks.
• Research on gender and close-to-community providers of health care – providing policy guidance in a pandemic - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• How to attract and retain health workers in rural areas of fragile states? Findings from a labour market survey in Guinea - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• “Posting policies don’t change because there is peace or war” - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• Establishing a responsive & equitable health workforce post-conflict & post-crisis: lessons from ReBUILD research - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• Understanding HRH recruitment in post-conflict settings: an analysis of central-level policies and processes in Timor-Leste (1999–2018) - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• Why do people become health workers? Analysis from life histories in four post‐conflict and post‐crisis countries - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• How do health workers experience and cope with shocks? Learning from four fragile and conflict-affected health systems in Uganda, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Cambodia - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• Evolution of policies on human resources for health: opportunities and constraints in four post-conflict and post-crisis settings - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• Incentives for health workers to stay in post and in rural areas: findings from four conflict- and crisis-affected countries - Rebuild ConsortiumRebuild Consortium
• Essential public health functions: a guide to map and measure national workforce capacity
• Introducing ReBUILD for Resilience - health systems researchRebuild Consortium
• National workforce capacity for essential public health functions: operational handbook for country-led contextualization and implementation
• National workforce capacity to implement the essential public health functions including a focus on emergency preparedness and response
• Fair share for health and care: gender and the undervaluation of health and care work
• WHO health workforce support and safeguards list (2023)
• Bilateral agreements on health worker migration and mobility: Maximizing health system benefits and safeguarding health workforce rights and welfare through fair and ethical international recruitment
• National health workforce accounts: a handbook, second edition
• Working for health and growth: investing in the health workforce
• Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030

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The podcast covers wide-ranging topics such as NTD’s, NCD’s, antenatal and postnatal care, mental wellbeing and climate change, all linked to community engagement and power dynamics.   

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