In many countries, shortage and maldistribution of trained health workers is one of the most important constraints to strengthening the delivery of primary and other health services, including curative, promotional, preventive and rehabilitative services. At the same time, many countries currently lack the technical capacity to accurately monitor their own health workforce: data are often unreliable and out-of-date; common definitions and proven analytical tools are absent; skills and experience for assessing crucial policy issues are lacking.

This Handbook aims to strengthen that technical capacity. It offers health managers, researchers and policy makers a comprehensive and standard reference for monitoring and evaluating human resources for health. It brings together an analytical framework with strategy options for improving the health workforce information and evidence base as well as country experiences to highlight approaches that have worked.

This publication enhances understanding of human resources for health and contributes to the growing body of tools and applied research designed to address the challenge of measuring and improving health workforce outcomes, strengthening health systems and, ultimately, improving population health.