WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre

A hub of global research


The World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO) Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Planning and Research was designated in 2008 and is based at Dalhousie.

This centre’s mandate is to build capacity in health systems and needs-based health human resources (HHR) planning within Canada and internationally, which aligns with the WHO Strategic Objective to Strengthen Health Systems.

With partner countries’ support and the knowledge and experience of  the Collaborating Centre team, we are working to advance PAHO and WHO’s commitment to support the Decade for Human Resources for health, the goal of which is to provide equitable, quality health services to all of the Americas through a well-trained, fairly compensated, and committed health workforce.

August 2016: The School of Nursing has been re-designated as a WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Planning and Research for an additional four years, to 2020. The Collaborating Centre has achieved much success in its first eight years and looks forward to another successful four years of global collaboration to advance needs-based health systems and workforce strengthening.

WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre expanding its work in the Caribbean

The WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre has been awarded a contract from Pan American Health Organization to assist both Grenada and St. Vincent & the Grenadines in the development of their health workforce action plans. As part of the Centre’s four-year designation work plan, Dr. Tomblin Murphy is thrilled to be working with these Caribbean countries to strengthen their health systems and workforce planning, using approaches based on population health needs.

Find out more about our research or visit the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre website.