29 Oct Jordan Launches a Four-year Plan to Improve Human Resources for Health
Photo: USAID Director of Population and Family Health Office Daniel Sinclair delivering his speech during the launch National HRH Strategy Launch Event on October 15, 2018.
Without a strong and motivated health workforce, Jordan is at risk of reversing progress made in regards to human resources for health and meeting sustainable development goal (SDG) targets. Challenges to creating a strong workforce in Jordan include population growth, economic instability, and other issues which serve as roadblocks to the success and capacity of Jordan’s health system and its ability to provide equitable, high-quality healthcare services.
Recent studies indicate that Jordan lags behind in many factors within human resources for health (HR) including governance, policy & partnership, management, education, production, development, and planning. The absence of explicit policies to strengthen HRH has been identified as the main reason for previously failed efforts to reform health systems. To date, there is no National HRH strategy in Jordan. Accordingly, USAID Human Resources for Health in 2030 (HRH2030) provided technical assistance to the High Health Council (HHC) to develop the National HRH Strategy 2018-2022 through a systematic and comprehensive approach.
Under the Patronage of Minister of Health and Chair of the High Health Council Dr. Ghazi Al Zaben, HHC and HRH2030 launched the National HRH Strategy on October 15 in Amman, hosting global and regional speakers. More than 160 stakeholders and representatives participated in the event. By prioritizing the health system and tackling key HRH challenges, the strategy is envisioned to take Jordan one step closer to attaining the SDGs.
In the opening remarks delivered by Secretary General of the High Health Council Dr. Mohammad Rasool Tarawneh on behalf of H.E. Minister of Health Dr. Ghazi Al Zaben, the significance of the timing of the launch was noted as being essential to the strengthening of human resources for health in Jordan. Dr, Mohammad explained, “This national strategy comes at a time in which the health sector is facing major challenges as a result of rapid population growth, the transformation of diseases, growing populations of elderly and young persons, and the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis. We hope that this strategy will contribute to enhancing and empowering the health workforce to ensure the provision of the best health service to all.”
USAID Director of the Population and Family Health Office Daniel Sinclair said in his speech during the launch event, “Behind every delivery in a facility is a service provider, behind every vaccine injected is a talented nurse or doctor, behind every family planning service provided is a skilled midwife or other health care professional, and behind every medicine taken is a trained pharmacist. This strategy is about all of these people, and everyone else who helps Jordan to improve health outcomes throughout the Kingdom.”