PAHO Virtual Campus and WHO Academy Collaborate to Enhance Regional Health Training

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization Academy (WHO Academy) have forged a strategic alliance to bolster training opportunities for healthcare professionals across the Americas. This collaboration leverages the established infrastructure and extensive reach of PAHO’s Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH), a virtual learning platform with over two decades of experience serving the region. By designating the VCPH as its regional focal point, WHO Academy aims to extend its educational offerings and tailor them to the specific needs and contexts of the Americas. This partnership signifies a significant step towards strengthening the healthcare workforce and enhancing health outcomes throughout the region. Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, Assistant Director of PAHO, expressed optimism about the collaboration, emphasizing its potential to expand the VCPH’s reach, enhance staff training, and ultimately improve the health of the population in the Americas.

The central objective of this collaboration is to ensure accessibility to WHO Academy’s educational resources for countries and healthcare workers in the Americas. This involves adapting existing courses to address regional priorities and developing new joint courses and initiatives. The collaborative framework encompasses several key areas: expanding in-person and virtual training initiatives, developing learning materials in Spanish and Portuguese in conjunction with regional academic institutions, ensuring multi-platform access to online courses and digital platforms, leveraging the technical expertise of both organizations for tailored training programs and lifelong learning promotion, and mobilizing resources to promote WHO Academy standards, research, and regional collaboration on a larger scale. This comprehensive approach aims to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to address evolving health challenges in the Americas.

The agreement underscores the commitment of both organizations to promote continuous professional development throughout the careers of healthcare workers. James Fitzgerald, Director of the Department of Health Systems and Services at PAHO, highlighted the VCPH’s proven track record as a valuable tool for technical cooperation. He emphasized its ability to integrate education with practical problem-solving within health services, fostering reflection on the daily challenges faced by healthcare professionals. This integrated approach enhances the relevance and applicability of training programs, ensuring they directly contribute to improving the quality of healthcare delivery.

WHO Academy, located in Lyon, France, is dedicated to enhancing access to learning through diverse modalities, including online, hybrid, and in-person courses. The Academy’s approach emphasizes user-centric learning experiences, adapting its offerings to meet the specific needs of healthcare professionals. Furthermore, it provides digital credentials to validate competencies and support career advancement, ensuring that learners receive recognition for their acquired knowledge and skills. This commitment to accessibility and personalized learning aligns with the evolving needs of the healthcare workforce.

The PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH) serves as PAHO’s primary educational platform, offering a wide array of courses through a continuous health education strategy. With a vast network of over 3.5 million users, the VCPH provides ongoing educational opportunities across the Americas. Its extensive experience and established capacity position it as a vital resource for supporting skills development amongst healthcare workers in the region. The collaboration with WHO Academy will further strengthen the VCPH’s capabilities and expand its impact on healthcare professional development.

This partnership between PAHO and WHO Academy presents a unique opportunity to leverage the strengths of both organizations to address critical healthcare workforce development needs in the Americas. By combining the VCPH’s regional expertise and extensive network with WHO Academy’s innovative educational resources and global perspective, this collaboration will ensure that healthcare professionals in the Americas have access to high-quality, relevant, and context-specific training opportunities. This will empower them to effectively respond to the evolving health challenges facing the region and contribute to improving the health and well-being of its population. The joint commitment to continuous professional development, personalized learning, and digital credentialing will foster a culture of lifelong learning among healthcare workers, ensuring they remain at the forefront of advancements in their respective fields. This strategic partnership represents a significant investment in the future of healthcare in the Americas.