The WHO-ASPHER Competency Framework for the Public Health Workforce in the European Region is aimed at policy-makers, human resources for health planners and professionals with a particular interest in the public health workforce, and other stakeholders, such as education institutions, public health institutes and others responsible for implementing policy and professional organizations.

The WHO-ASPHER Competency Framework is intended to support the implementation of the European health policy framework Health 2020 and the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, Sustainable Development Goal 3 on universal health coverage. More specifically, they are produced in the context of WHO Regional Committee for Europe resolution EUR/RC67/R5 towards a sustainable health workforce in the WHO European Region: framework for action.

Member States are requesting guidance on how to build the capacity of the public health workforce. The WHO-ASPHER Competency Framework can serve as a point of departure for developing more context-specific competencies. This publication is designed to support the application to the public health workforce of the tools presented in The toolkit for a sustainable health workforce in the WHO European Region, including measures to strengthen education and performance, planning and investment, capacity-building, analysis and monitoring.