Abstract
A health system is an expensive knowledge-based industry made up of professionals, paraprofessionals, and administrative and support personnel. Human resources to provide and manage public health and clinical services are crucial to developing and sustaining national and global health systems. High-income countries are replete with highly trained and motivated personnel, but face issues such as increasing costs of care for aging populations and using new categories of health workers. Low-income countries face severe human resource shortages as training programs are underdeveloped. Health workforce issues include urban–rural differentiation, promoting standards and quality of care, specialization versus primary care, tensions between public and private health systems, and integrating new health professions. Migration of health professionals from low-income to high-income countries hampers the buildup of a critical mass of leaders, providers, and teachers to expand the capacity of health systems. Strategic policies are crucial to this field.