COVID‐19 placed incredible strain on health care systems and the global health workforce. The pandemic rapidly increased demand for health care services and created an acute need for the health workforce in many areas of care. Yet, it also brought the health workforce to the forefront of the policy agenda and revealed many innovative solutions that can be built upon to overcome persistent workforce challenges.

This article is based on a policy brief prepared for the WHO Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, which explores global emergency workforce strategies implemented during the pandemic and lessons learned from them for the long-term sustainability of the health workforce.

Don’t have access to the full text? Email Margaret Ziemann (mziemann@email.gwu.edu) to request a pdf version.