The Government of Pakistan, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization launched a joint initiative on 16 July 2026 to support 20,000 health and care workers through skills development, decent employment, occupational safety, gender equality and expanded social protection.
The first phase will run from July 2026 to July 2027 and is expected to create the foundation for reaching an additional 80,000 health workers in a second phase.
Supported by the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund and led by the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the programme will strengthen Pakistan’s implementation of the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.
The initiative, titled Advancing Decent Work and Just Transitions in Pakistan through Health Sector Skills Development and Social Protection, aims to improve health services while creating safer, more secure and better-quality employment opportunities in the sector.
The programme was formally launched following the first meeting of its Joint Programme Steering Committee. The committee is chaired by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office.
During the meeting, participants approved the programme’s governance arrangements and first-year implementation plan, highlighting strong national leadership and cooperation among government institutions, United Nations agencies and development partners.
Government representatives said the programme would support reforms in nursing and allied health education while placing jobs, skills and social protection at the centre of Pakistan’s development agenda.
The ILO will support skills development, stronger labour market institutions, safer working conditions, employment formalisation and wider access to social protection for health workers.
WHO will contribute to strengthening Pakistan’s health workforce and improving health systems at national, provincial and community levels. The initiative recognises that well-trained and protected workers are essential for delivering accessible and high-quality healthcare.
Representatives from the Asian Development Bank and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office welcomed the programme and expressed support for coordinated investment in Pakistan’s health workforce.
The initiative is expected to generate evidence and scalable approaches that can support Pakistan’s National Roadmap under the Global Accelerator. It will also help strengthen institutional capacity, mobilise financing and promote decent work, universal social protection and sustainable economic development.
