Empowering displaced health workers from Ukraine: country practices and procedures

Abstract The WHO European Region faces a dual challenge: persistent shortages in the health workforce and a growing population of displaced professionals due to geopolitical crises, notably the war in Ukraine. While international recruitment is guided by the WHO Global Code of Practice, the inclusion of refugee health personnel still remains largely overlooked in policy and through interventions. This session draws on country activities implemented under the joint EU-WHO-IOM project “Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefitting from temporary protection in Member States” to explore different strategies to support Ukrainian health workers’ access to the labour market while in displacement. Through close collaboration with Ministries of Health, relevant health authorities, and key local partners, WHO is supporting a variety of actions aimed at increasing the opportunities for Ukrainian health workers to be employed in the host country. These actions include, among others, developing information materials on existing mechanisms for qualification recognition and licensing procedures, approbation exams, legal requirements, and career pathways, outreach initiatives, networking events to promote connections between health workers, medical institutions and employers. During the session, WHO will focus on project results, lessons learned and challenges. It will add value by bridging workforce development with humanitarian principles, and an emphasis will be put on replicable approaches for other countries managing displaced professionals into host communities across diverse migration contexts.