What type of study is this?

This is a Observational study (also classified as: Literature Review).

August 19, 2025Open Access

Advancing public health workforce’s professional development: implications for Ukraine

OGOlga GershuniFontys University of Applied Sciences MPMartina ParićMaastricht University OAOlga AleksandrovaWorld Health Organization - Pakistan

Key Points

The study identifies crucial actions for enhancing public health workforce professional development in Ukraine, emphasizing policy alignment and educational improvement.
Qualitative survey research highlights three priority areas for public health improvement: laws and regulations, education, and financing for workforce development.
Document analysis explored Ukrainian policies on public health workforce training and education, yielding insights on current gaps and enabling factors for professionalization.
The findings support the WHO-ASPHER Roadmap's framework for public health workforce professionalization across Europe, underlining the need for coordinated efforts.

Abstract

Abstract Despite many challenges, Ukraine has prioritized the need to develop and professionalize the public health workforce (PHWf) to respond to its transitioning public health (PH) system. This study explores how various PH stakeholders can develop and advance the PHWf professionalization programme in Ukraine using the WHO-ASPHER Roadmap to Professionalize the PHWf in the European region as the theoretical foundation. A mixed-methods qualitative approach was used to (i) document analysis of Ukrainian policy and regulatory documents related to PHWf and (ii) qualitative survey research involving relevant PH stakeholders. Directed and conventional content analysis was applied to analyse data. The document analysis reviews key areas as LoPHS, PH higher education, and continuous professional development. The analysis helped explain the current state of the PHWf and to understand enabling factors for its professionalization. Results from the qualitative survey research suggest several actions to enhance PHS in Ukraine based on three priority areas: (i) PH laws and regulation; (ii) PH education and training; and (iii) financing for the development and professionalization of PHWf. The PHWf professionalization programme for Ukraine resonates with the WHO-ASPHER Roadmap to Professionalizing the PHWf in the European region. It attempts to close the gap between PH legislation, the current state of the PHWf, and international PH practice ambitions. The study suggests the need for a well-coordinated development process across PHS and PHWf domains.

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