Best Investment for a Healthier World

Resources

The Frontline Health Workers Coalition produces webinars and events, and publishes briefs and fact sheets to highlight the need to invest more in frontline health workers. Key resources include: 

 

NCDs and health workforce
Issue Brief: Increased Investment in the Health Workforce is Imperative in the Fight to Reduce the Global Toll of Non-Communicable Diseases

August 2025

Ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-Being, the Coalition advocates for increased investment in health workers to enable more resilient and responsive health systems that are better equipped to combat the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This brief summarizes the roles and necessity of trained, compensated, protected, and supported health workers in alleviating the disease burden of NCDs, and details our recommendations alongside illustrative program features from our members. 

Cover of French version of ROI report
La nécessité d’investir dans les personnels de soins de santé primaire

Septembre 2023

Notre analyse résume les résultats sur le retour sur investissement des travailleurs de la santé, et en particulier des travailleurs des soins de santé primaires. Il fournit cinq recommandations politiques pour investir dans les travailleurs de la santé à l’intention des chefs d’État, des donateurs et des décideurs politiques réunis lors de la 78e Assemblée générale des Nations Unies.

Cover of ROI report
The Case for Investing in Primary Health Care Workers: Achieving Universal Health Coverage and Improving Health Equity
September 2023

Our analysis summarizes findings on return on investment in health workers, and particularly in primary health care workers. It provides five policy recommendations for investing in health workers for heads of state, donors, and policymakers gathered at the 78th UN General Assembly.

Supporting the Health Workforce to Increase Quality of HIV Services
February 2022

How can health workers and health workforce advocates influence PEPFAR Country Operational Plans (COPs) to better meet the needs of the health workforce? This webinar, hosted by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, points out what to look for in COP dialogues and planning documents. Speakers discuss health workforce challenges and how COPs can address them to improve quality of HIV services and long-term sustainability.

Speakers (in order of appearance):

  • David Bryden, Director, Frontline Health Workers Coalition (Moderator)
  • Amanda Banda, Global Health Advocate, Wemos
  • Kenneth Mwehonge, Advocacy and Networking Officer, Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS Uganda)
  • Esther Tumbare, Sr. Global Technical Director, Intrahealth International
Part One: Breaking Barriers: Health Workforce Policies for Pandemic Response and Preparedness
September 2021

COVID-19 has upended health systems around the world. More than 18 months into the pandemic, health leaders have a clearer perspective of what works and what doesn’t work in pandemic response and preparedness. Sponsored by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and partners alongside the 76th UN General Assembly, Part ONE of this webinar series is a frank discussion with government leaders from different continents on how their health worker policies pivoted to respond to COVID-19 and what they would do differently in the event of a future health crises.

Speakers:

  • Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Head of the Division of Public Health Institutes and Research at Africa CDC
  • David Bryden, Director of the Frontline Health Worker Coalition and Sr. Advocacy and Policy Advisor at IntraHealth International
  • Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga, Nurse and Vice Chancellor Clarke International University, Uganda
  • Dr. Rose Byanyima, Senior Health Officer, Ministry of Health, Uganda
  • Dr. Joseph Amedu, Senior Director, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria
  • Ms. Gulnaz Azhymambetova, Leading Specialist, Department of Organization of Medical Care and Public Health, Ministry of Health and Social Development, Kyrgyz Republic
  • Dr. Gregory Ganda, County Executive Committee Member for Health Services, Kisumu County, Kenya
  • Dr. Kirana Pritasari, MQIH Acting Head of HRH Directorate, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia
Part TWO: Breaking Barriers: Health Workforce Policies for Pandemic Response and Preparedness
September 2021

COVID-19 has upended health systems around the world. More than 18 months into the pandemic, health leaders have a clearer perspective of what works and what doesn’t work in pandemic response and preparedness. Sponsored by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and partners alongside the 76th UN General Assembly, Part TWO of this webinar series features civil society representatives who share their experiences working with the government to pass and implement innovative health workforce policies.

Speakers:

  • David Bryden, Director of the Frontline Health Worker Coalition and Sr. Advocacy and Policy Advisor at IntraHealth International, United States
  • Esther Nasikye, Policy and Advocacy Manager at PATH Uganda 
  • Mahbub Alam, Technical Director and Family Planning Specialist for Pathfinder International, Bangladesh
  • Tracy Kobukindo, Nurse and Technical Advisor at Last Mile Health, and Frontline Health Workers Coalition Regional Advisor, Uganda
  • Mirna Montenegro, Director of the Reproductive Health Observatory in Guatemala
  • Lilian Mwape, Chief Nursing Officer for National Heart Hospital and point person for Southern African Development Community, Zambia
Health Workers on the Front Lines of the Global COVID-19 Response
April 2021

17,000 health workers have died from COVID-19 and many still lack adequate protection. 70% of health workers are women and many lack decent working conditions. Watch our public briefing for US Congress to learn how the US can strengthen health systems and get these workers the support they deserve.

Speakers:

  • Kelly Saldana, director of USAID's Office of Health Systems
  • Olajumoke Adebayo, midwife and founder of Reprolife in Nigeria
  • Vanessa Kerry, CEO of Seed Global Health
  • Madhu Deshmukh, vice president of programs, CARE
  • Polly Dunford, president and CEO of IntraHealth International 
     
Nurses for Gender Equality & Decent Work
April 2021

Watch the second part of our webinar series on advocacy for gender equality and decent work for nurses. Hear from Nursing Now on their new Mass Lobby Toolkit, from nurses on advocacy that works for them, and from advocacy experts on tips and lessons learned.

Speakers:

  • Leticia Bernués, Nursing Now Madrid
  • David Bryden, director of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition
  • Lemlem Demisse, registered nurse in Ethiopia
  • Zipporah Iregi, registered nurse in Kenya
  • Rahab Mwaniki, advocacy manager, KANCO
  • Constance Newman, global technical lead for gender equality and health, IntraHealth International
  • Barbara Stilwell, executive director, Nursing Now
  • Sheila Tlou, co-chair, Nursing Now Global Campaign 
     
Gender Equality & Decent Work for Nurses
March 2021

Despite the essential and even “heroic” role of nurses in achieving universal health coverage and responding to COVID-19, many nurses continue to be unfairly compensated, unable to work to the top of their license, and unprotected from the occupational risks and hazards of the female-dominated sector. Watch a roundtable discussion on gender equality and decent work in the context of nursing.

Speakers:

  • Howard Catton, chief executive officer, International Council of Nurses
  • Zipporah Iregi, registered nurse in Kenya
  • Chunmei Li, director, global community impact, Johnson & Johnson
  • Constance Newman, global technical lead/gender equality, IntraHealth International
  • Emanuela Pozzan, senior regional gender specialist, International Labor Organization
  • Barbara Stilwell, executive director, Nursing Now 
     
The Health System after the COVID Pandemic
September 2020

Health workforce experts from around the world discuss how investments in frontline health workers today can better position countries to meet their populations’ health needs post-pandemic. This virtual side event took place alongside the 75th United Nations General Assembly and was sponsored by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and members Chemonics, IntraHealth International, Living Goods, Management Sciences for Health, and Pathfinder International.

Speakers:

  • (Keynote) Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the CDC
  • Polly Dunford, president and CEO of IntraHealth
  • Wanda Jaskiewicsz, director of the HRH2030 Program
  • Michael Kapps, CEO of TNH Health
  • Dr. Diana Nambatya Nsubuga, deputy country director of Living Goods Uganda
  • Dr. Patrick Ndimubanzi, Executive Secretary for the Human Resource for Health Secretariat at the Rwandan Ministry of Health
  • Tabinda Sarosh, Pakistan Country Director for Pathfinder International
Frontline Healtfp_fact_sheet_11_08_2018_km-1.jpgh Workers Count for Family Planning and Reproductive Health

Prepared for the 2018 International Conference on Family Planning, read our fact sheet to learn about the vital work frontline health workers all over the world are doing to provide clients with informed contraceptive education and services, the Global Gag Rule, and our recommendations for strengthening the abilities of frontline health workers.

 

 

Women's Leadership in the Health Workforce

At the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, a group of advocates, thinkers, and policy makers convened to identify concrete actions that could be taken to make measurable progress on barriers to advancing women's leadership in the health workforce. 

 

 

 

Bold Action for Frontline Health Workers Needed to Achieve Universal Health Coverage and Primary Health Care for All

Four recommendations for achieving UHC and primary health care for all: prioritize the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health milestones, unlock new multi-sourced investment in the global health workforce, make financial commitments to mechanisms like the Working for Health Multi-Partner Trust Fund, transform health workforce education. 
 

 

 

Issue Briefs: Frontline Health Workers' Incredible Impact on Improving Global Health
2017-2018

Our updated set of issue briefs outlines how frontline health workers impact core US global health priorities, including the pursuit of an AIDS-free generation, the elimination of preventable maternal and child deaths, the advancement of global health security, and more. These briefs highlight the unique and critical role of frontline health workers in tackling specific global health issue areas, as well as U.S. leadership on these issues and the need for a comprehensive US health workforce strategy to further advance global health progress.

Prioritizing Community Health Worker Data for Informed Decision-Making
November 2016

To optimize the role of community health workers (CHWs) in expanding equitable access to health services and meeting the SDG targets, country governments—with support from their global and local partners—must improve data on CHWs to gain the necessary information to strengthen support, planning, and decision-making. In a policy analysis released in November 2016, the Frontline Health Workers Coalition calls for governments and all stakeholders to come together to advocate for and deliver the data on health workers, including CHWs, that will foster the enabling policy environments and programs needed to address the most severe access gaps.

The Cost of Scaling Up the Health Workforce in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Amid the Ebola Epidemic
March 2015

The Frontline Health Workers Coalition recommends that the U.S. Government and its partners address the public health emergency resulting for the Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea by investing in the training, retention, and support of frontline health workers.

Based on the assumptions, data and calculations in this report, the overall cost of doubling the health workforce over five years in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, and expanded coverage via a community health worker program comes to approximately $573.4 million, or less than $115 million per year on average. To read more about this costing analysis please see our full report.

A Commitment to Community Health Workers: Improving Data for Decision-Making
September 2014

Community health workers (CHWs) have emerged as critical human resources able to deliver health services directly to communities, including services that could prevent the majority of child deaths. To meet immediate health needs, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), integrating CHWs into functional health systems is an urgent necessity.

Frontline Health Workers Count for Universal Health Coverage September 2014
September 2014

Frontline health workers are integral in providing available, affordable, and culturally acceptable health services, especially for communities in hard-to-reach areas. Frontline health workers not only provide necessary medical treatments, they also save lives by encouraging healthier living through preventative care and health education. Without frontline health workers universal health coverage for all would not be possible.

 
 
U.S. Investment in Frontline Health Workers
September 2014

This factsheet highlights how the U.S. Government’s leadership and investment in global health workforce strengthening has accelerated progress on numerous health goals. Prioritizing investments designed to fill the persisting shortage of health workers in many areas is the next step in achieving these goals.

Issue Brief
Frontline Health Workers Deliver for Women & Children
May 2013

Healthy communities begin with healthy women and children. To improve maternal and child health, the U.S. has the opportunity to catalyze a global movement to increase the number of health workers on the frontlines in developing countries, as well as tackle the health systems constraints that hamper the capacity and impact of existing frontline health workers

Fact Sheet
Saving Lives on the Frontline — Eliminating Pediatric HIV and AIDS
December 2012

Although interventions to prevent the transmission of HIV from a mother to her child have been in use for over a decade, more than 900 children are still infected with HIV every day. The elimination of pediatric HIV and AIDS will not happen without increased investments in the health workforce, especially those serving on the frontlines of the HIV epidemic.

Policy Brief
Stories Brief
June 2012

This brief tells the stories of frontline health workers in seven countries. From rural villages in Malawi to the bustling city of Pune, India, FLHWs are providing their otherwise neglected communities with the most basic – but valuable – health services at limited cost.

The Best Way to Save Lives, Accelerate Progress on Global Health, and Help Advance U.S. Interests
February 2012

The devastatingly large global health workforce shortage, combined with health workforce utilization, training, and equipment issues, greatly contributes to preventable deaths worldwide. Increased investment and integration of the health workforce will help frontline health workers throughout the world save lives.