About

Recognizing the work of health and care workers even as their health and safety were not adequately protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Assembly (WHA) requested in 2021 for the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop the Global Health and Care Worker Compact. The Compact builds on and centralizes existing international law standards into one comprehensive resource to guide member states in protecting health and care workers and safeguarding their rights.

Our Work

To support the Compact’s implementation, the Health and Care Worker Policy Lab gathers legal and policy documents on the rights and protections of health and care workers from more than 180 countries. The policy lab is an open, living global public resource for governments, civil society organizations, health and care workers, and their unions or other representatives to use. It also contains a national assessment tool, enabling stakeholders to assess their country-specific status in adopting the Compact’s standards and recommendations.

Our Team

Our Team

Mattt Kavanagh Headshot

Matthew M. Kavanagh Director

Varsha Srivatsan Headshot

Varsha Srivatsan Program Manager

Eric Friedman Headshot

Eric A. Friedman Global Health Justice Scholar

Vishakh Unnikrishnan Headshot

Vishakh Unnikrishnan Associate

Adi Radhakrishan Headshot

Adi Radhakrishnan Fellow

Alexandra Finch Headshot

Alexandra Finch Associate