Over 90 young professionals, including delegates from Canada, India, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda and the United Kingdom, joined Ministers of Health and heads of international development agencies to address challenges in the health sector.
They were convened in May 2025 at an intergenerational dialogue hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat, which prioritised interventions from young professionals serving at the forefront of health service delivery and those driving impactful health projects in their countries.
This conversation is even more critical now as countries seek a collaborative response to the unprecedented strain on the global health and care workforce. The young professionals offered innovative solutions grounded in practical, first-hand experience to these growing challenges.
Reflecting on the importance of meaningful youth engagement in addressing workforce challenges, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation and the Environment for Antigua and Barbuda, Senator Michael Joseph, said at the meeting:
“Today’s intergenerational dialogue highlights the vital energy and ideas young people bring, who too often remain underrepresented in decision-making. Systems must be established that go beyond inviting youth to speak, providing them with the resources and platforms to drive meaningful change.
“Through advocating for health system investment at the highest political levels, we can address global needs without compromising local workforces. This collective approach is essential to building a sustainable and thriving health workforce across the Commonwealth.”
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Senior representatives from Amref Health Africa, Resolve to Save Lives, the Commonwealth Health Professionals Alliance, as well as the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), also contributed to the discussions. Participants addressed challenges, including workforce shortages and retention challenges, ethical recruitment, digital transformation, climate change, and ageing populations.
Recognising the Commonwealth's unique position in addressing these challenges, the Director of the Health Workforce Department at the World Health Organization Jim Campbell emphasised the critical importance of collaboration, saying:
“The Commonwealth has a long history of impactful collaboration in strengthening health and care workforces across its member states. Today, facing unprecedented threats — from climate change to the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases — there is a critical need to invest in the next generation of health and care workers.
“By investing in young health professionals and fostering their leadership, the Commonwealth can build resilient health systems capable of meeting future challenges and ensuring equitable, quality care for all.”
The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the necessity of acquiring future-ready skills and training to address emerging health threats, as well as the importance of investing in these areas. Strategies to transform "brain drain" into "brain circulation" through ethical and mutually beneficial migration policies were also discussed.
A Commonwealth approach to collective action
The Co-ordinator of the Commonwealth Youth Health Network, Ayesha Ali, said:
“This discourse highlighted the urgent need to integrate youth voices into health workforce policy as equal stakeholders. It drew attention to systemic gaps, from education-employment misalignment to ethical migration, and reinforced the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration. This dialogue is vital to shaping inclusive policies for strengthened health systems across our Commonwealth.”
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The Head of Social Policy Development at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Layne Robinson, emphasised the urgent need to integrate youth perspectives into national and regional workforce strategies. He said:
"What we’ve heard in this dialogue is a powerful reminder that the future of the health and care workforce is full of promise. Young professionals are not waiting to be invited in — they are ready to lead, to innovate, and to reimagine what is possible.”
As the event concluded, participants emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration across countries and regions to address shared workforce needs in a coordinated and sustainable way. They also committed to developing concrete, country-level, and cross-country recommendations that will inform wider Commonwealth health policy platforms in the months ahead.
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Media contact
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Ijeoma Onyeator Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
