The World Health Organization (WHO) Academy officially opened its doors yesterday in Lyon, France, marking a significant milestone in global health education. The inauguration ceremony was graced by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and French President H.E. Emmanuel Macron, alongside health ministers, international representatives, donors, and French partners.

The WHO Academy, a groundbreaking initiative, is poised to address critical health workforce shortages worldwide through its ambitious lifelong training program. This innovative project is designed to equip health professionals, policy-makers, and WHO staff with essential skills and knowledge in public health. Through in-person training sessions in Lyon and an extensive online platform, the Academy will offer access to cutting-edge research, the latest health practices, and innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), empowering the global workforce to address pressing health challenges.

The Academy’s mission aligns with the urgent need to strengthen global health systems. With a projected shortage of 10 million health and care workers by 2030, the initiative focuses on addressing this gap, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa. By forging partnerships with top academic and research institutions, the WHO Academy aims to ensure better access to critical health innovations, thus improving health system capacity and efficiency worldwide.

The WHO Academy, which was launched seven years ago, is a result of generous support from the French Government, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Lyon City, and other global partners. Its state-of-the-art campus spans 11,000 square meters, featuring 22 training rooms, distance-learning facilities, a simulation center, an emergency operations center, a TV studio, an auditorium, and a library. Additionally, the online platform democratizes access to world-class health education, offering free, high-quality courses on priority health topics to professionals across the globe, regardless of location.

President Macron hailed the Academy’s opening, emphasizing its role in revolutionizing global health care. "This new global institution in Lyon will bring the best of health training and innovation to the world," he said. "Better-trained health workers are essential to making our world safer and to preventing and responding to future pandemics. This investment will benefit us all."

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underscored the transformative potential of the Academy, noting that WHO's technical products have often lacked the necessary institutionalized training for real-world application. “The WHO Academy will be game-changing,” he said. “It will equip health workers, policy-makers, and our global workforce with the competencies needed to transform health systems and deliver health for all.”

The shortage of health-care workers has left millions worldwide without access to essential services, such as immunization, maternal care, and treatment for communicable diseases. To combat this, the WHO Academy aims to train thousands of health professionals each year. By 2028, it plans to train 3 million health-care workers, including nurses, clinicians, and midwives, as well as 900 senior decision-makers and 13,000 public health managers. In total, the Academy will offer between 50 to 80 courses annually, reaching a total of approximately 260 new courses by 2028.

As a bold step forward in addressing the global health workforce gap, the WHO Academy promises to strengthen health systems, improve service delivery, and advance health equity on a global scale. Through accessible, high-quality training, it will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of public health worldwide.