7.Q. Round table: Developing public health workforce in the European Region. Cases of Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan

Abstract In the dynamic landscape of public health, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO) and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) have devised the European competency framework and the roadmap to professionalizing public health workforce (PHW) in the European region aiming to guide stakeholders with competency standards and actionable recommendations for strengthening PHW. This workshop presents actions taken in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine to strengthen their public health workforce, showcasing how mentioned tools can be effectively applied in different contexts. The workshop aims to equip participants with practical strategies and tools to enhance the professionalization of the PHW, ultimately contributing to improved public health outcomes across the region. In Ukraine, public health system faces multifaceted challenges, ranging from epidemics to war. In 2019, Ukraine piloted a Competency Framework with key stakeholders, incorporating competencies missing in job descriptions for public health specialists. Subsequently, a review of educational programs for master’s degrees in public health was conducted. Based on the Competency Framework, the first state qualification exam for master’s in public health was introduced in 2021. Guided by the Roadmap, a PHW situational analysis was conducted by the WHO Country Office, and the elaboration of a national programme for the PHW development is close to completion. Furthermore, recognizing the need for capable public health leaders, a national Public Health Leadership Programme has been initiated based on the Competency Framework. In Georgia, following global trends, in 2023 the Ministries of Internally Displaced Persons, Labour, Health, and Social Protection planned to prepare a comprehensive public health human resource strategy, based on the Competency Framework, which has led to the development of a number of policy processes and platforms, including a public health human resources survey to get a better understanding of the composition of the public health workforce in the country. In Azerbaijan, within the framework of the Azerbaijan Pandemic Response Project initiated in 2022, the WHO Country Office has actively sought to bolster the capabilities of the public health workforce. Utilizing the Competency Framework, a detailed self-assessment tool was developed, enabling both current public health professionals and students to evaluate their skills across various competencies. Alongside, a Professional Learning Plan was crafted to support a holistic learning cycle of Public Health Champions, which guides them through stages of identifying learning needs, engaging in relevant activities, and critically assessing the outcomes. Each presentation will offer valuable insights for European countries on how to strengthen public health workforce, how to adapt the tools to serve national priorities, and to foster collaboration among stakeholders. Key messages • The workshop aims to equip participants with tools designed by the WHO and ASPHER to enhance the professionalization of the PHW across the region. • The workshop will contribute to exchange of PHW professionalization practices at the European level by raising awareness among the audience of how the specific tools can be used in different contexts. Speakers/Panelists Nataliia Piven WHO Country Office in Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine Elene Godziashvili National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia Halil ibrahim Durak WHO, Baku, Azerbaijan Olga Aleksandrova WHO Country Office in Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine Karolina Airapetian WHO Country Office in Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine