Leading up to the fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in September, a new report from the NCD Alliance offers an overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with optimizing the health care workforce to meet global NCD goals.

"Central to ACC's Mission is to help improve heart health for all. The health workforce is essential in supporting that goal, and yet in many places around the world, the number of health care workers is insufficient to meet the needs of the communities they serve," says ACC Past President Athena Poppas, MD, MACC. "This NCD Alliance report highlights ways in which we can better staff, maintain skills, support and finance this essential facet of health systems."

The report, which builds on a previous NCD Alliance report from 2019, provides a structured, interlinking policy framework centered around four key pillars – Staffed, Skilled, Supported and Financed – essential to "accelerating action" and effectively addressing NCD prevention. It also provides specific examples of policies and programs currently in place, such as the NCD Academy, that support each of these areas.

"According to the NCD Alliance report, the most severe workforce shortage appears to be in the countries with the fastest-growing burden of NCDs," says Poppas. "To help address this staffing challenge, NCD Academy offers free, up to date education to better equip all in the primary care community with the skills to handle the growing NCD burden."

The report stresses the importance of building on these implementation examples and urges countries, the World Health Organization and civil society groups and organizations like the ACC to work together to develop global, regional and country-specific strategies to meet the global demand for health care workers delivering NCD care. It also highlights the urgent need for "effective and accessible training and education programs," as well as supporting working environments that can bolster recruitment and retention efforts, improve professional satisfaction and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes. "Consistent and sustainable financing is [also] needed to optimize the heath workforce to address NCDs and achieve global targets," the report states.

"The reasons behind workforce shortages are complex and reflect many demand- and supply-side factors," write the report authors. "Addressing these interconnected issues is essential to ensuring that the health workforce can effectively manage the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of NCDs and improve patient outcomes."

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team

Keywords: Noncommunicable Diseases, Global Health, Workforce, United Nations, Primary Health Care