{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,2]],"date-time":"2025-08-02T18:54:20Z","timestamp":1754160860257,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,28]],"date-time":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753660800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Following her appointment as Regional Director of the World Health Organization African Region in February 2015, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti launched the Transformation Agenda to reform and align the organization\u2019s work with regional public health needs. This initiative was prompted by the weaknesses observed during the 2013\u20132014 Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa, particularly delayed response and limited availability of skilled personnel for rapid detection and management. A key component of the agenda was the functional review of the 47 World Health Organization country offices in the region, aimed at optimizing structures and staffing to be fit-for-purpose. Conducted between 2017 and 2023, the functional review sought to tailor the country office capacities to the specific health priorities of all 47 Member States and introduce more effective operational models. This paper examines the management of human resources throughout the functional review process, with a focus on workforce challenges, including anxiety, stress, and uncertainty and the strategies adopted by organization to mitigate their impact. It also reviews the steps taken to strengthen country offices human resource capacities in line with the functional review objectives and draws attention to the challenges, good practices, and lessons learned in managing organizational change during institutional reform.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1562732","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,28]],"date-time":"2025-07-28T05:30:24Z","timestamp":1753680624000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Public health workforce management during a major organizational reform in the World Health Organization African Region Country Offices"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Egide","family":"Rwamatwara","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abdulmumini","family":"Usman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ndoungou","family":"Salla Ba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Patrick","family":"Kabore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hyelni","family":"Kulausa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Olushayo Oluseun","family":"Olu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alex","family":"Gasasira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joseph","family":"Cabore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Matshidiso","family":"Moeti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,28]]},"reference":[{"volume-title":"The transformation agenda of the World Health Organization secretariat in the African region, 2015-2020","year":"2015","key":"ref1"},{"volume-title":"Resolution a\/RES\/70\/1. Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development","year":"2015","key":"ref2"},{"volume-title":"Delivering at country level: Update on the functional reviews of WCOs in the AFR region - aligning WHO country offices with country priorities","year":"2020","key":"ref3"},{"volume-title":"Transformation, functional review of WHO country offices, Dalberg final report","year":"2016","key":"ref4"},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"1","article-title":"\u201cLeadership that gets results\u201d, managing people","volume":"10","author":"Goleman","year":"2011","journal-title":"Harv Bus Rev"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1016\/S1053-4822(00)00053-X","article-title":"Commitment in the workplace: toward a general model","volume":"11","author":"Meyer","year":"2001","journal-title":"Hum Resour Manag Rev"},{"volume-title":"Strengthening WHO African region country offices\u2019 capacity through the implementation of the functional review recommendations","year":"2022","key":"ref7"},{"volume-title":"Mid-term evaluation of the transformation agenda of the WHO secretariat in the African region","year":"2017","key":"ref8"},{"volume-title":"The transformation agenda of the World Health Organization secretariat in the African region: Phase 2: Putting people at the center of change","year":"2017","key":"ref9"},{"volume-title":"Report on WHO staff in the African region AFR\/RC73\/INF.DOC\/9","year":"2023","key":"ref10"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1080\/15555240.2019.1600409","article-title":"The association between job insecurity and engagement of employees at work","volume":"34","author":"Getahun","year":"2019","journal-title":"Workplace Behav Health"},{"volume-title":"Grow your geeks","year":"2017","author":"Oglethorpe","key":"ref12"},{"volume-title":"Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us","year":"2010","author":"Pink","key":"ref13"},{"key":"ref14","first-page":"29","article-title":"\u201cOne more time: how do you motivate employees\u201d, managing people","volume":"10","author":"Herzberg","year":"2011","journal-title":"Harv Bus Rev"},{"volume-title":"Aligning WHO country offices to national health priorities: Impact of WHO\u2019S transformation agenda in the African region","year":"2024","key":"ref15"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"785","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-7660.1994.tb00536.x","article-title":"Economic restructuring, coping strategies and social change: implications for institutional development in Africa","volume":"25","author":"Bangura","year":"1994","journal-title":"Dev Change"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1093\/heapol\/13.1.59","article-title":"Transformation of ministries of health in the era of health reform: the case of Colombia","volume":"13","author":"Bossert","year":"1998","journal-title":"Health Policy Plan"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1093\/heapol\/11.1.64","article-title":"Strengthening health management: experience of district teams in the Gambia","volume":"11","author":"Conn","year":"1996","journal-title":"Health Policy Plan"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"i67","DOI":"10.1093\/pubmed\/fdaa264","article-title":"Human resources for health governance and leadership strategies for improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a narrative review","volume":"43","author":"Effa","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Public Health"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1108\/00251740310462023","article-title":"Managing radical organisational transformation","volume":"41","author":"Francis","year":"2003","journal-title":"Manag Decis"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1902","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(15)60644-4","article-title":"A retrospective and prospective analysis of the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic: robust national health systems at the foundation and an empowered WHO at the apex","volume":"385","author":"Gostin","year":"2015","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1684\/san.2011.0268","article-title":"Leadership et vision exerc\u00e9e pour la couverture universelle des soins dans les pays \u00e0 faible revenu [leadership and vision in the improvement of universal health care coverage in low-income countries]","volume":"21","author":"Meda","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sante"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1017","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.25.4.1017","article-title":"The case for transforming governmental public health","volume":"25","author":"Salinsky","year":"2006","journal-title":"Health Aff"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.12927\/hcpap.2017.25086","article-title":"(2017). A blueprint for innovation to achieve health system transformation","volume":"16","author":"Snowdon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Healthc Pap"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1097\/HMR.0000000000000096","article-title":"Organizational capacity for change in health care: development and validation of a scale","volume":"42","author":"Spaulding","year":"2017","journal-title":"Health Care Manag Rev"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hcmf.2013.05.002","article-title":"Organizational change strategies within healthcare","volume":"26","author":"Steinke","year":"2013","journal-title":"Healthc Manage Forum"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1562732\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,28]],"date-time":"2025-07-28T05:30:27Z","timestamp":1753680627000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1562732\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,28]]},"references-count":26,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1562732"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1562732","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2296-2565"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,28]]},"article-number":"1562732"}}