On the margins of the 71st World Health Assembly, the International Labour Organisation, (ILO), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) operationalizing the Working for Health Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF). The Multi-Partner Trust Fund will enable partners to pool resources and drive implementation of the Working for Health five-year action plan: a collaboration between the ILO, OECD and the WHO to support countries to invest in the health and social service workforce required to achieve Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Working for Health programme will implement the 10 recommendations made by the United Nations Secretary’s High level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth, which found that investing in the health workforce creates dividends across employment, gender, health and inclusive economic growth – supporting the achievement of SDGs 3, 4, 5, 8 and 17.
Country work supported by the MPTF will finance catalytic, coordinated policy advice, technical cooperation and capacity strengthening activities associated with the Working for Health programme; including ways to build a fit-for-purpose health workforce to meet the challenges of UHC, NCDs and Global Health Security amongst others. Work within countries will be supported by engagement across regional economic areas and facilitating global public goods.
The government of Norway, a member of the UN High-Level Commission, is committed to supporting the MPTF and to finance investment in transformative education, skills and job creation in the global health care workforce. The MPTF aims to raise US$70 million over five years and be responsive to demand from those countries wishing to implement inter-sectoral solutions engaging education, employment, finance and health Ministries.
For more information on how your government or organization can participate in the Working for Health action plan, please email the programme at Working4health@who.int.