Irish Homecare CEO Teresa Boylan-McNally collaborated with the World HealthOrganization (WHO) and policymakers, health workforce leaders, care sector stakeholders, researchers and practitioners from around the globe on new policy options for integrating the health and care workforce. The publication was officially launched on 22October 2026.
The launch took place at an online webinar hosted by the WHO Academy, in advance of the International Day of Health and Care on 29 October. The webinar explored practical actions that governments and partners can take to strengthen workforce development,education, working conditions, career pathways and health and care workforce integration, all in support of person-centred care.
Health and care workers are the foundation of strong, resilient health systems, yet carework often remains undervalued and under-recognised despite its critical contribution to health, well-being and development. Irish Homecare is proud that Teresa contributed to this work, which reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to supporting carers, nurses and the wider care workforce.
The new tool presents evidence-informed policy options to help countries better recognise, value, support and invest in care work and care workers. The discussion covered key findings and evidence from the publication, country experiences from India and Japan, approaches to improving education, employment, retention and career pathways for care workers, and ways to strengthen care worker rights, protections and decent working conditions. Participants also took part in a live Q&A session.
Irish Homecare thanks the WHO Academy and Working for Health for the opportunity to collaborate on this important initiative.
