Center for Global Health Policy and Politics

Health and Care Worker Policy Lab

About

Recognizing the work of health and care workers even as their health and safety were not adequately protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Assembly (WHA) requested in 2021 for the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop the Global Health and Care Worker Compact . The Compact builds on and centralizes existing international law standards into one comprehensive resource to guide member states in protecting health and care workers and safeguarding their rights.

Our Work

To support the Compact’s implementation, the Health and Care Worker Policy Lab gathers legal and policy documents on the rights and protections of health and care workers from more than 180 countries. The policy lab is an open, living global public resource for governments, civil society organizations, health and care workers, and their unions or other representatives to use. It also contains a national assessment tool, enabling stakeholders to assess their country-specific status in adopting the Compact’s standards and recommendations.

Publications

Journal Article

Laws for health and care worker protection and rights: A study of 182 countries

The unprecedented and multi-faceted challenges health and care workers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired the world’s health ministers to call for a new Global Health and Care Worker…

December 9, 2024

Journal Article

The global health and care worker compact: evidence base and policy considerations

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, and recognising the sacrifice of health and care workers alongside discrimination, violence, poor working conditions and other violations of their…

July 25, 2023

Expert Column

Expert Column

Who is a Care Worker?

November 28, 2023