The WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO WPRO) held the Third Meeting on Health Professional Education Reforms in Transition Economy Countries on July 23-25 in Shanghai, China. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the education and training of health workers to deliver Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through a strong health system built on the foundation of primary health care (PHC), with health professionals playing a key role in delivery. Senior health leaders from Cambodia, China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia and Viet Nam attended for the Meeting, along with national stakeholders and international experts. The meeting focused on supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and legal frameworks in country for the education and regulation of health workers to develop a competent and responsive PHC workforce in support of UHC.
Countries in the Western Pacific Region have identified the need for strengthening education and health worker training through understanding how updated curricula and training methodologies, along with enhanced measures to effectively manage this knowledge, can be used to improve the competencies and skill mix of PHC workers. Countries also require a strong regulatory environment to ensure quality and safety of health services.
Participants, Advisers, Representatives and WHO WPRO Representatives at the meeting in Shanghai, China
Objectives of the meeting included:
- provision of an overview of progress on policy developments and the status of implementation of the recommendations and action plans developed during the previous meetings;
- identification of measures to strengthen education and training of primary health care workers;
- sharing of good practices and lessons on addressing gaps in the skills and competency of primary health care workers using knowledge management practices;
- enhancing capacities of key stakeholders in health workforce regulation, including through use of the electronic tool for strengthening legal frameworks for health.
Meeting participants included high-level government and institutional country representatives from attending countries including Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Regulation and Legislator.
Dr Liu Yang, National Health Commission Beijing and Ms Michele Rumsey, WHO CC UTS Director
These participants were supported by temporary advisers from the University of Hong Kong, independent advisers from Australia, Monash Children’s Hospital , South Australia, and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development UTS. Observers attended from the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s WHO CC for Health Workforce Regulation, Gunma University Japan WHO CC for Research and Training on Interprofessional Education, Health Human Resources Development Centre WHO CC for Human Resources for Health China, Jiading Primary Health Care Centre WHO CC for Health Systems Development China, Peking University China, Zhejiang University China, Seoul National University WHO CC for Educational Development, and St Lukes International University WHO CC for Nursing, Development in Primary Health Care Japan.
The WHO WPRO facilitated the meeting along with its representatives from secretariat in the Philippines, and the Country Offices of Viet Nam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, and Mongolia. The three-day event covered topics on health workforce management and data use in the Western Pacific Region, designing a medical education curriculum for PHC and Designing a Nursing and Midwifery education curriculum for PHC and country specific group discussions.
Field visits to community health service centres and group presentations and discussions led into work on Peer-Learning and Knowledge synthesis and brokerage on UHC.
Delegates visit Community Health Service Centres
During the meeting, participants also explored the high-tech family community centre-the Jiading District “3+X” New Family Doctor Contract Service Mode. This pilot is investigating the role of a community health service platform, focusing on grassroots and family doctor contract services. As part of the ‘people-centred’ integrated health service system, one regional family doctor service management centre is supported by service links and X support services. An important innovation, part of this mode has led to Jiading developing a smart community health service platform.
Simulation in Training-Community Health Service Centre
The final day of the meeting focused on strengthening legal frameworks for health workforce development and regulation, and the Health Law Tool was explored as a method to support these efforts to strengthen legal frameworks in country specific group discussions. To close the event, country action plans were developed based on these discussions using the Health Law Tool.
The new Cambodian Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer (CNMO), Dr Hem Navy joined the meeting for the first time and and discussions were had with all country teams on the State of the World’s Nursing Report. Further discussions were also had with Mongolia, Viet Nam, China and Laos regarding the importance of the office of CNMO.
Dr Hem Navy, new Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (CNMO), Ms Michele Rumsey, WHO CC UTS Director, and Dr Ly Chanvatanak Head of Clinical Performance and Skils and Simulation Unit, University of Health Sciences Phnom Penh.