This spring, the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) Global Health Education Program Director and Distinguished Professor of Population Health & Disease Prevention at UC Irvine, Dr. Oladele Ogunseitan, participated in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) roadmap steering committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland to strengthen the global public health workforce.

At the meeting, international public health and emergency response experts discussed strategies to advance implementation of the Workforce Capacity for Essential Public Health Functions Roadmap. The WHO roadmap delineates a five-year global strategy to improve how countries train, measure, and sustain the health workforce. It outlines an approach for policymakers, planners, and educators to address health system strengthening to deliver the full range of essential health services and functions that meet population needs in times of stability and emergency.

The roadmap emphasizes defining essential public health functions (see Image 3), expanding competency-based education, and improving the mapping and measurement of public health occupations. The critical health workforce gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for strengthened health systems and advanced health security. Building a strong public health workforce is increasingly important, not only in preventing the next pandemic but also in addressing current global health challenges like climate change, the escalating burden of noncommunicable diseases, and antimicrobial resistance.

In 2022, UCGHI endorsed the roadmap and has remained actively engaged in its development. Through Dr. Ogunseitan’s continued participation on the steering committee, the University of California system is positioned to shape international strategies for public health education and workforce capacity.

Dr. Ogunseitan’s involvement underscores the growing role of academic institutions in global health governance and health workforce development. As countries across the globe build more resilient health systems, the WHO roadmap initiative aims to ensure that a well-trained, adequately supported public health workforce is in place to meet both current and future challenges.