Public health workforce and human resources for health in the Arab world: Challenges and opportunities

A major challenge to any health system is the availability of a strong, capable, and motivated workforce to support its core functions. This is particularly important in regions with lower public health and health provider densities and poorer health outcomes as the case in the Arab world. The purpose of this study is to define the public health workforce, review available evidence, provide a critical reflection on its complex realities and challenges, highlight gaps in knowledge and areas for research, and outline areas for reform. Thorough review of the literature was undertaken to meet the stated objectives. The study proposes a framework that encapsulates all categories of the public health workforce and places the health of population at its center. Results indicate variable degrees of data availability for different components of the public health workforce in Arab countries with a specific focus on biomedical care providers. Results show that the Arab world's public health workforce density is below the global average with large variations across countries. The current situation reflects several challenges specific to the Arab world, mainly related to weak planning capacities and associated shortages, mal-distribution, lack of data and limitations of existing data, and gender inequities. Challenges within policy leadership and partnerships mainly concern poor coordination between ministries, and lack of attention to capacity building and financing. Management challenges relate mainly to recruitment and retention, job satisfaction, external migration and production. Implications for policy and practice are drawn based on identified gaps and opportunities.