Public health competences through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic: what matters for health workforce preparedness for global health emergencies.
Int J Health Plann Manage
; 36(S1): 14-19, 2021 May.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1318704
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is raising new questions on public health competences and leadership and on health workforce preparedness for global public health emergencies. The present commentary aims to highlight demand and opportunities for innovation through the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis. We review the public health competency framework recently launched by WHO and ASPHER through the lens of COVID-19. The framework provides guidance for aligning public health and global health competences across sectors and professional groups. Five critical competency areas can be identified in relation to public health emergencies (1) flexibility, adaptation, motivation, communication, (2) research, analytical sensitivity, ethics, diversity, (3) epidemiology, (4) preparedness and (5) employability. However, this may not be enough. New models of public health leadership and changes in the health workforce are needed, which transform the silos of professions and policy. Such transformations would include learning, working, leading and governing differently and must stretch far beyond the public health workforce. To achieve transformative capacity, critical public health competences must be considered for all healthcare workers on all levels of policymaking, thus becoming the 'heart' of health workforce resilience and pandemic preparedness.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Professional Competence
/
Public Health
/
Global Health
/
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
/
Health Workforce
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Int J Health Plann Manage
Journal subject:
Health Services Research
/
Health Services
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Hpm.3131
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