WHA78 Side Event 2 – Expanded Program

78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Theme:
Building Momentum: Accelerating Action on the Global Health
and Care Workforce by 2030
Ensuring a sufficient, competent, and motivated health and care workforce is essential for
achieving universal health coverage, advancing primary healthcare, and strengthening
global health security. While the global health workforce has grown to over 70 million
worldwide, many countries—especially low- and middle-income nations—continue to face
critical shortages, uneven distribution, and high attrition, particularly in rural, underserved,
and crisis-affected settings.
The World Health Organization projects a global shortfall of over 11 million health workers by
2030. These realities highlight the urgent need for coordinated national, regional, and global
actions to ensure an adequate, equitably distributed, protected, and motivated health and
care workforce in every country, as a cornerstone of resilient health systems and social justice
and equity.
The Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030, the Working for Health
2022–2030 Action Plan, and the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International
Recruitment of Health Personnel provided strategic frameworks and outlined several actions
to progressively optimize, build, and strengthen the health and care workforce needed to
deliver UHC and guarantee global health security.
This Side Event aims to catalyze momentum by fostering strategic dialogue, sharing
transformative experiences, and identifying practical solutions to common challenges. By
coming together, we can accelerate collective efforts to ensure that every country has a
health and care workforce that is empowered, equitably distributed, and equipped to meet
current and future health needs.
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Indicative Time Topic Speaker
12:30 PM – 12:40 PM Opening Messages H.E. Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, Secretary of Health,
Philippines
H.E. Amine Tahraoui, Minister of Health and Social
Protection, Kingdom of Morocco
12:40 PM – 12:45 PM Overview of the World Health Assembly
Resolution on Accelerating action on
global health and care workforce and
Philippine Country Sharing
Dr. Kenneth G. Ronquillo, Undersecretary,
Philippine Department of Health
12:45 PM – 1:25 PM Panel Discussion
Sharing of Experiences and Insights
Guide Question:
● What key initiatives should
we prioritize and collaborate
on to drive faster progress in
achieving the shared
objectives outlined in the
Global Strategy on Human
Resources for Health:
Workforce 2030 and the
Working for Health
2022–2030 Action Plan?
Q & A / Interactive Discussion
Panelists:
● Member States
○ Dr. Roland Jopp, Head of the
Foreign Expert Personnel
Department, German Federal
Ministry of Health
○ Ms. Rachel McKenna, Chief
Nursing Officer, Department of
Health, Ireland
○ Mr. Zniber Adil, Director of Human
Capital, Ministry of Health and
Social Protection, Kingdom of
Morocco
○ Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie,
Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of
Health & Wellness, Jamaica
● Non-State Actor
○ Dr. Ashok Philip, President, World
Medical Association
● Health and Care Worker representative
○ Dr. Uche Ralph-Opara, Chief
Health Officer, Project HOPE (TBC)
Reactor:
● Mr. Jim Campbell, WHO Director, Health
Workforce
Moderator:
● Dr. Vanessa Kerry, President & CEO, Seed
Global Health and WHO Special Envoy,
Climate Change and Health
1:25 PM – 1:30 PM Call to Action Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, Regional Director, WHO
Western Pacific Region
1:30 – 1:35 PM Closing Remarks Minister Jennifer Carroll Macneill, Minister of
Health, Ireland
1:35-1:40 PM Photo Opportunity
1:40-1:50 PM Networking
PROGRAM
SPEAKERS
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Dr. Teodoro Herbosa is the Health Secretary of the Philippines, who also served as
undersecretary from 2010 to 2015. His noteworthy achievements include making healthcare
accessible to everyone in achieving Universal Health Care.
Among the significant projects he led are the upgrading of public hospitals through Health
Facilities Enhancement Funds and Public-Private Partnerships, as well as the developing the
National eHealth Strategic Framework Plan, ensuring top-notch information management.
Secretary Herbosa, who holds expertise in Trauma Surgery and Disaster Medicine, pioneered
Fellowship programs at the University of the Philippines for Trauma Surgery and the Residency
Program in Emergency Medicine. Notably, he has held several international posts as he was a
professor of Emergency Medicine at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
He established the Center for Research in Emergency Medicine and led international efforts,
including roles at Johns Hopkins University and the World Association for Disaster and Emergency
Medicine. His contributions extend to the World Health Organization’s Safe Surgery initiative.
-end-
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Mr. Amine Tehraoui was appointed Minister of Health and Social Protection by His Majesty King
Mohammed VI on October 23, 2024. His appointment reflects a career built on economic expertise, public
service, and strategic leadership.
Born in 1976, Mr. Tehraoui graduated from Sciences Po Paris and holds a Master’s degree in Finance as well
as a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature. He began his career in economic consulting in
China, then joined the investment bank Attijari Finances Corp., where he led major privatization, M&A, and
IPO transactions, contributing to the growth of Morocco’s capital markets.
In 2007, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries, where he
helped design and implement two national strategies: the Green Morocco Plan and the Halieutis Plan.
He later became CEO of a leading private group in the retail and commercial real estate sectors, and served
on the boards of several institutional companies. Building on this experience, he co-founded an
independent investment bank operating in Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mr. Tehraoui’s career bridges public policy and private enterprise, with a constant focus on supporting
Morocco’s economic development.
-end-
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Dr. Kenneth Ronquillo
Oversees health policy development, workforce management,
performance monitoring, and international health cooperation. He
specialized in health reforms, completing courses at the World
Bank Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, and Semmelweis
University. A champion of Universal Health Care (UHC) in the
Philippines, he helped shape the Implementing Rules of the UHC
Act and co-authored Universal Health Care in the Philippines:
From Policy to Practice. As a key leader in the Department of
Health, he guides UHC system development. Dr. Ronquillo
convenes the Philippine HRH Network and led the Philippine
Human Resources for Health Master Plan 2020-2040. He is an
active member of the Asia Pacific Action Alliance on HRH and was
recently appointed by the World Health Organization as co-chair of
the Expert Advisory Group on the Global Code of Practice for
International Recruitment of Health Personnel.
Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala
is the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific and the first
Pacific islander to hold this position. Nominated in October 2023 and
appointed in January 2024, he took office on 1 February 2024. A
surgeon, politician, and public health leader, Dr. Piukala has nearly 30
years of experience across Tonga and the Pacific. He champions
multisectoral collaboration to address noncommunicable diseases,
climate change, universal health coverage, and emerging infectious
diseases. He has advocated for youth health, tobacco control, safe
surgery, and disaster preparedness. Before joining WHO, he was
Tonga’s Minister of Health and a Member of Parliament. He also
served as Vice-Chair of the WHO Regional Committee for the
Western Pacific, chaired the Pacific Health Ministers meeting in 2023,
and was a WHO Executive Board member from 2019 to 2022. He was
a Commissioner for WHO’s Independent High-Level Commission on
NCDs from 2018 to 2020.
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Dr. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is the Minister for Health. She was appointed to this role on 23
January 2025. Before this, she served as Minister for European Affairs & Defence since April 2024. Dr. Carroll
MacNeill previously served as Minister of State in the Department for Finance with special responsibility for
Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance.
Minister Carroll MacNeill was elected as a TD for the Dún Laoghaire constituency in the 2020 General
Election. She served on a number of Oireachtas Committees including the Public Accounts Committee, the
Justice Committee and the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. She was also a
member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.
Before entering elected politics, Minister Carroll MacNeill qualified as a Solicitor and Barrister. She holds a
PhD in public policy where her research interest was in political institutions and the judiciary.
Minister Carroll MacNeill has worked as a lawyer in the public service, both within the Oireachtas as Legal
Adviser in the Office of the Leader of Fine Gael and within Government as Special Adviser in the Department
of Children and Youth Affairs, in the Department of Justice and Equality & in the Department of Housing,
Planning and Local Government.
-end-
PANELISTS
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Member States
Dr. Roland Jopp
has more than 20 years of experience in Federal Ministry
of Health and the Federal Government. After working as
an Advisor in the Federal Chancellery and as Head of
Division for European Health Policy, he spent four years
at the German Embassy in Poland as Attaché for Labor
and Social Affairs before taking up his current position as
Head of Division of Skilled Labour Migration in 2023.
Ms. Rachel Kenna
is the Government Chief Nursing Officer in Ireland. Through
the Chief Nurse’s role, Ms. Kenna has developed and
implemented nursing and midwifery policy. In addition, she
was instrumental in facilitating the role out of the vaccination
programme during the Covid-19 pandemic and the
development of population health screening policy. In
addition, under the Chief Nurse’s leadership, policies related to
safe staffing and advanced practice have been implemented
nationally.
Her portfolio also includes patient safety policy and planning
and is responsible for guidance, audit and supporting
legislation in this area. Under Ms. Kenna’s leadership, she has
developed a strategic workforce plan that informs the roll out
of Sláintecare. Rachel is also a member of the Five Nations’
Chief Nurses’ Working Group (Ireland, Northern Ireland,
England, Wales and Scotland).
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Mr. Zniber Adil
is the Director of Human Resources and the Head of the
Personnel Management Division of the Ministry of Health
and Social Protection.
Mr. Adil earned his Doctorate in Health Law in Mohammed V
University, a public university in Rabat, in 2022.
Mr. Adil also earned his Certificate in Legal and Regulatory
Studies, Certificate in Project Management, and Certificate in
Conflict Management at the Institute of Public
Administration in Saudi Arabia in 2015.
Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie
is the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Jamaica. She is well known
for her leadership through the COVID-19 Pandemic where she
demonstrated competence in technical knowledge, effective team
management and strategic communication.
Aside from navigating epidemics and pandemics, Dr.
Bisasor-McKenzie has developed and championed the Primary
Health Care Reform and Secondary Care Model for Jamaica. She is
driving considerable transformation in the health sector towards
building a resilient health system that provides quality and
comprehensive care for all.
She continues to represent the Ministry of Health & Wellness and by
extension, the country, at the local, regional and international level
and has made several presentations globally. She serves on several
boards and is the Chair of several health committees including the
Central Health Committee and the Quarantine Authority.
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
Non-State Actor
Dr. Ashok Philip
is a past president of the Malaysian Medical Association.
During his term he engaged with the Malaysian Ministry of
Health to try and mitigate the unusual challenges junior
doctors in the government sector faced. Despite the best
efforts of the Malaysian Medical Association, the situation has
not significantly improved, and we are now seeing potential
students turning away from medicine, while many new
doctors seek alternative employment or migrate to other
countries. Dr. Philip maintains close communication with the
Malaysian Medical Association as they continue their efforts to
reform the healthcare system.
Dr. Uche Ralph-Opara 
is a clinician and global health leader with nearly two decades
of experience designing and implementing impactful health
and development programs across multiple countries. Her
work spans infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, TB), reproductive,
maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), nutrition and
health systems strengthening.
Dr. Ralph-Opara currently serves as the Chief Health Officer at
Project HOPE, where she oversees the organization’s global
health program portfolio and strategy. Since joining in 2021,
she has held several leadership roles, including Nigeria
Country Director and Deputy Regional Director for Africa,
driving major programmatic growth in areas such as HIV,
NCDs, and maternal and child health across multiple
countries. She is passionate about strengthening frontline
health systems and championing equitable access to quality
care in underserved communities.
Health and Care Worker representative
REACTOR
78th
World Health Assembly | Building Momentum:
Accelerating Action on the Global Health and Care Workforce
MODERATOR
Mr. Jim Campbell
is the Director, Health Workforce at the World Health
Organization. He oversees the development and
implementation of evidence and tools to support
countries in the education, employment and
retention of the health and care workforce in pursuit
of global health security, universal health coverage
and the Sustainable Development Goals.  His
portfolio includes WHO’s Global Strategy on Human
Resources for Health: Workforce 2030, the joint WHO,
ILO, OECD Working for Health partnership to
implement recommendations of the UN High-Level
Commission on Health Employment and Economic
Growth, and the WHO Global Code of Practice on the
International Recruitment of Health Personnel. He
oversees collaborative networks and partnerships
with academia, civil society, government institutions,
professional associations, and unions, with particular
focus on data exchange, digital technologies/AI and
equality for women and youth.  Jim is a graduate of
the University of Bristol and the University of Leeds,
and an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Public
Dr. Vanessa Kerry
is a critical care physician and co-founder/CEO of
Seed Global Health, a non-profit dedicated to
strengthening health systems and workforce
development for economic growth and equity. At
Harvard, she directs the Global Health and Climate
Policy program in the Department of Environmental
Health and serves as core faculty at the Center for
Climate, Health and Global Environment
(C-CHANGE). She also leads the Global Public Policy
program at Mass General and is the World Health
Organization’s Special Envoy for Climate Change
and Health. Dr. Kerry’s research spans health
workforce, climate change, and global health
security, including crisis response collaborations
with NATO. She has taught on the intersection of
health, economy, and security at Harvard and Yale
and has spoken at key global forums, including the
UN, WHO, World Economic Forum, and Women
Leaders in Global Health conferences.
Health and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He has published extensively, is on the
Editorial Board of the Human Resources for Health Journal and is a guest lecturer for
post-graduate health and MBA programs worldwide.
bit.ly/WHO-GlobalHealthAndCareWorkforce-By2030
Accelerating action on the global health and care workforce by 2030
Draft decision proposed by Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Croatia,
Germany, Jamaica, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Romania, South
Africa, Thailand and Ukraine