ABSTRACT: The World Health Organization has released its first comprehensive Guidance document on health practitioner regulation, addressing a critical gap in global health policy. This Commentary provides an overview of the Guidance, which aims to support countries in strengthening their regulatory systems for health practitioners. The Guidance, developed through a rigorous process involving a literature review and expert consultation, covers a broad range of health practitioners and focuses on optimizing their utilization to meet population health needs. Key highlights include the description of the global regulatory landscape, identification of regulatory challenges in all societies, and policy considerations to realize dynamic, effective, and agile regulation. The COVID-19 pandemic is cited as an important example of a catalyst for regulatory reforms that enhanced workforce availability and access. This paper, co-authored by members of the World Health Organization Technical Expert Group, emphasizes the importance of aligning regulatory systems with broader health workforce and system priorities, adopting a risk-based approach, and addressing implementation gaps. It encourages policymakers, regulators, and researchers to use the Guidance to assess and update their regulatory systems and to generate more robust evidence on the impact of health practitioner regulation on health outcomes.

Elsheikh Badr

Ruth Nigatu Bealchew

David Benton

Antonia Carzaniga

Jishnu Das

Mark Dexter

Martin Fletcher

André Gariépy

Morris Kleiner

Elizabeth Oywer

Michele Rumsey

Mike Saks

Natéwindé Sawadogo

Joan Simeon

Francis Wafula

Journal of Medical Regulation

World Health Organization <i>Guidance</i> on Health Practitioner Regulation: An Overview

世界卫生组织《健康从业者监管指南》概述

World Health Organization Guidance on Health Practitioner Regulation: An Overview

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