Washington, D.C., November 8, 2024 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) successfully concluded a regional workshop on Health Labor Market Analysis (HLMA) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The workshop aimed to strengthen capacities for planning and developing human resources for health (HRH) in Central America and the Dominican Republic. Participants included health officials, policymakers, and technical experts from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
“It is an honor to host this important workshop, which provides a platform to exchange experiences, best practices, and innovative strategies that address the specific needs of our national systems while strengthening the region as a whole,” said José Octavio Izaguirre, Director of Human Resources for Health, Ministry of Health, Honduras.
Over the course of the workshop, participants gained key competencies to conduct health labor market analyses, identify relevant stakeholders, and coordinate efforts at national and international levels. "This knowledge will enable more effective planning and evidence-based decision-making," said Ana Emilia Solis, PAHO/WHO Representative in Honduras.
Juana Paola, WHO economist, emphasized the need for a transformative approach to planning, developing, and investing in the health workforce across the sub-region. She highlighted the HLMA as a critical tool for strengthening human resources for health.
Benjamín Puertas, unit chief of Human Resources for Health at PAHO, underscored the workshop’s dual focus on engaging both policymakers, who shape HRH policies, and technical experts, who manage data collection and dissemination. “This training is particularly timely and valuable for countries in the sub-region that are updating or developing new HRH policies and plans,” he noted.
The workshop adopted a hybrid format, combining three preparatory webinars with an intensive four-day in-person session held from November 5–8 in Honduras. The webinars introduced participants to core HLMA concepts, enabling them to develop preliminary analyses of their own health labor markets. These analyses were then applied in group exercises during the in-person sessions, fostering collaboration and shared learning among countries.
This training initiative addresses the urgent need to strengthen health systems across the region to achieve universal health coverage and equitable access to quality health services. A well-trained, adequately distributed, and accessible health workforce is critical to overcoming these challenges. Health labor market analysis serves as a key tool to identify trends, needs, and opportunities in the labor market, enabling countries to adapt their HRH policies and investments.
The workshop marks the conclusion of a series of sub-regional trainings organized by PAHO and WHO, following similar initiatives in South America (November 2023) and the Caribbean (June 2024). These trainings have utilized a WHO guide to support countries in analyzing health labor markets and identifying strategic investment areas. In 2023, teams from 10 South American countries participated in HLMA training, and in 2024, the program expanded to the Caribbean, Central America, and the Dominican Republic. This collective effort equips countries to address their health workforce needs more effectively, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of health systems across the region.
