Health systems depend on more than doctors and nurses. Paid and unpaid care workers support older people, people with disabilities and others who need help with daily living, yet their work is often fragmented across health and social-care policies.
New policy options released by the World Health Organization on 9 November 2026 call for stronger integration of the health and care workforce. The framework treats care work as part of a connected system rather than a separate, invisible layer of support.
Twenty policy areas across a worker’s pathway
WHO organizes the options into 20 thematic areas covering entry into care work, the conditions people experience while working, and the reasons they remain in or leave the sector. This life-cycle approach matters because recruitment alone cannot solve shortages if training, supervision, wages or working conditions are weak.
Training and recognition
Care workers need education that matches their responsibilities, clear role definitions and pathways for continued development. Better integration can also improve communication between home- and community-based support and formal clinical services.
Working conditions and pay
The policy options emphasize safe and fair working conditions, adequate remuneration and social protection. These are workforce issues, but they also affect continuity and quality of care: high turnover can disrupt relationships that are especially important for people with long-term support needs.
Paid and unpaid work must both be visible
The care economy includes formal employees as well as family members and other unpaid carers. WHO notes that care work is disproportionately carried out by women and girls. Policies therefore need to consider gender equality, the distribution of unpaid work and the support available to family carers.
Equity, migration and public–private differences
The document also highlights evidence gaps involving migrant workers, differences between public and private provision, and the experiences of groups whose work is least visible. One universal policy is unlikely to fit every labour market, so local data and worker participation are essential.
What stronger integration could look like
- Shared workforce planning across health and social-care authorities.
- Recognized competencies, training standards and progression routes.
- Safer conditions, fairer pay and access to social protection.
- Support for unpaid carers, including information and respite where available.
- Better data on workforce size, turnover, migration and unmet care needs.
These are policy options, not a clinical guideline and not proof that one model will work everywhere. Governments and employers still need to assess local needs, financing, regulation and the evidence for particular interventions. For individuals arranging care, the document does not replace professional advice or local service information.
