WHO Advocates Fair and Ethical Management of Global Health Worker Migration

In 2020, at the World Health Worker Week, more remarkable guidance on Bilateral agreements on health worker migration and mobility was released by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

These recommendations were formulated jointly by the World Health Organization, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the International Labor Organization under the Working for Health program umbrella.

Health workers are an indispensable part of the health workforce, actively providing essential health services, including those aimed at public health purposes. 

However, the added problem is that those countries with unfulfilled health services also need those with the least health worker density. Lack of need in areas ending in continuous mass migration of health workers from these countries can deepen health inequities and force the preservation of world health security risks. However, misgovernment of medical pool migration can exploit the health services of developing countries.

The WHO Glob Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health personnel recommends using display agreements for international recruitment to prevent the downside effect on countries with current health challenges and at the time to connect health worker migration with measured current investments in health system strengthening.

Sustainable international health workforce recruitment must lead to both destination and source countries' health system strengthening, and it should recognize health professionals' rights. 

This WHO Guidance shows the means to make these arrangements. It promotes that official health work is still a priority, as well as the importance of this protection iceberg and employment conditions for the health workers in the host countries. The directive covers any bilateral agreement that implicates the mobility of health workers with a migration policy.