A global analysis of the health workforce polices to attract, recruit and retain health workers in rural and remote areas with a focus on occupational health measures

Abstract

Inequitable geographic distribution remains a critical health workforce challenge for countries due to the difficulty attracting, recruiting and retaining health workers in rural and remote areas. Limited access to health workers in rural and remote areas is estimated to affect about 2 billion people globally and contributes to the lower health status observed in these areas. In 2010 the WHO published the global policy recommendations for improving the availability of health workers in rural and remote areas and also, together with ILO developed, the global framework for national occupational health programmes for health workers. The projected shortfall of 18 million health workers to achieve universal health coverage by 2030 and the hard-hitting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health workers make it crucial to review the; current global level of maldistribution, interventions being used by countries to counter this, and occupational health and safety in place to protect health workers.