Optimizing health worker roles to improve access to key maternal and newborn health interventions through task shifting

The World Health Organization's recommendations on optimizing the roles of health workers aim to help address critical health workforce shortages that slow down progress towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals. A more rational distribution of tasks and responsibilities among cadres of health workers can significantly improve both access and cost-effectiveness--for example by training and enabling mid-level and lay health workers to perform specific interventions otherwise provided only by cadres with longer (and sometimes more specialized) training. These recommendations are intended for health policy-makers, managers and other stakeholders at a regional, national and international level. WHO hopes that countries will adapt and implement them to meet local needs. The recommendations were developed through a formal, structured process including a thorough review of available evidence. The process and the recommendations are described in the related documents.