National Reporting Instrument 2024
Background
Adopted in 2010 at the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA Res 63.16), the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (“the Code”) seeks to strengthen the understanding and ethical management of international health personnel recruitment through improved data, information, and international cooperation.
Article 7 of the Code encourages WHO Member States to exchange information on the international recruitment and migration of health personnel. The WHO Director General is mandated to report to the World Health Assembly every 3 years.
WHO Member States completed the 4th round of national reporting in May 2022. The WHO Director General reported progress on implementation to the 75th World Health Assembly in May 2022 (A75/14). The report on the fourth round highlighted the need to assess implications of health personnel emigration in the context of additional vulnerabilities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, the Expert Advisory Group on the relevance and effectiveness of the Code (A 73/9) was reconvened. Following the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group, the Secretariat has published the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023.
The National Reporting Instrument (NRI) is a country-based, self-assessment tool for information exchange and Code monitoring. The NRI enables WHO to collect and share current evidence and information on the international recruitment and migration of health personnel. The findings from the 5th round of national reporting will be presented to the Executive Board (EB156) in January 2025 in preparation for the 78th World Health Assembly.
The deadline for submitting reports is 31 August 2024.
Article 9 of the Code mandates the WHO Director General to periodically report to the World Health Assembly on the review of the Code’s effectiveness in achieving its stated objectives and suggestions for its improvement. In 2024 a Member-State led expert advisory group will be convened for the third review of the Code’s relevance and effectiveness. The final report of the review will be presented to the 78th World Health Assembly.
For any queries or clarifications on filling in the online questionnaire please contact us at WHOGlobalCode@who.int.
What is the WHO Global Code of Practice?
Disclaimer: The data and information collected through the National Reporting Instrument will be made publicly available via the NRI database (https://www.who.int/teams/health-workforce/migration/practice/reports-database) following the proceedings of the 78th World Health Assembly. The quantitative data will be used to inform the National Health Workforce Accounts data portal (http://www.apps.who.int/nhwaportal/).
Disclaimer

[1] Note: Case-based facility data collection as that in the WHO Global Bum Registry does not require WHO Member State approval.
[2] The world health report 2013: research for universal coverage. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013 (http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/85761/2/9789240690837_eng.pdf)
[3] WHO statement on public disclosure of clinical trial results: Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015 (http://www.who.int/ictrp/results/en/, accessed 21 February 2018).
For more information on WHO Data Policy kindly refer to http://www.who.int/publishing/datapolicy/en/
Contact Details
Contemporary issues
Due to Labour market dynamics the issue of recruitment differs in health cadres. Most health professionals at the entry level, the country is able to produce but cannot absorb resulting in unemployment, except for Doctors, whom the country does not produce and can still absorb
Health Personnel Education
Check all items that apply from the list below:
sectors on the international recruitment and migration of health personnel, as well as to publicize the Code, among relevant ministries, departments and agencies,
nationally and/or sub-nationally.
processes and/or involve them in activities related to the international recruitment of health personnel.
personnel authorized by competent authorities to operate within their jurisdiction.
Government Agreements
Responsibilities, rights and recruitment practices
Please check all items that apply from the list below:
Please check all items that apply from the list below:
International migration
Direct (individual) application for education, employment, trade, immigration or entry in country |
Government to government agreements that allow health personnel mobility |
Private recruitment agencies or employer facilitated recruitment |
Private education/ immigration consultancies facilitated mobility |
Other pathways (please specify) | Which pathway is used the most? Please include quantitative data if available. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Doctors | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
Nurses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Midwives | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Dentists | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Pharmacists | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Direct (individual) application for education, employment, trade, immigration, or entry in the destination country |
Government to government agreements that allow health personnel mobility |
Private recruitment agencies or employer facilitated recruitment |
Private education/ immigration consultancies facilitated mobility |
Other pathways (please specify) | Which pathway is used the most? Please include quantitative data if available. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Doctors | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
Nurses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Midwives | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Dentists | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Pharmacists | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Other occupations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recruitment & migration
Improving the availability and international comparability of data is essential to understanding and addressing the global dynamic of health worker migration. Please consult with your NHWA focal point, if available, to ensure that data reported below is consistent with NHWA reporting*.
(The list of NHWA focal points is available here. Please find the focal point(s) for your country from the list and consult with them.)
For countries reporting through the WHO-Euro/EuroStat/OECD Joint data collection process, please liaise with the JDC focal point.
Inflow and outflow of health personnel
Stock of health personnel
For the latest year available, consistent with the National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA) Indicators 1-07 and 1-08, please provide information on the total stock of health personnel in your country (preferably the active workforce), disaggregated by the place of training (foreign-trained) and the place of birth (foreign-born).
Medical Doctors (generalist + specialists) | 361 | 0 | 361 | 355 | 6 | 355 | 6 | Regulatory Bodies | 2024 | 1 | |
Nurses | 7836 | 7836 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7833 | 3 | Regulatory body | 2024 | 1 | |
Midwives | 2780 | 2780 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2780 | 0 | Regulatory Bodies | 2024 | 1 | |
Dentists | 22 | 0 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 17 | 5 | Regulatory Bodies | 2024 | 1 | |
Pharmacists | 25 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 25 | 0 | Regulatory Bodies | 2024 | 1 |
This information can be provided by one of the following two options:
Doctors | Nurses | Midwives | Dentists | Pharmacists | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total foreign trained personnel | 361 | 22 | 25 | ||
Country 1: Top country of training | ZAF | ZAF | ZAF | ||
Country 1: No. of foreign trained health personnel | 341 | 22 | 25 | ||
Country 2: Top country of training | ZMB | ||||
Country 2: No. of foreign trained health personnel | 10 | ||||
Country 3: Top country of training | ZWE | ||||
Country 3: No. of foreign trained health personnel | 10 | ||||
Country 4: Top country of training | |||||
Country 4: No. of foreign trained health personnel | |||||
Country 5: Top country of training | |||||
Country 5: No. of foreign trained health personnel | |||||
Country 6: Top country of training | |||||
Country 6: No. of foreign trained health personnel | |||||
Country 7: Top country of training | |||||
Country 7: No. of foreign trained health personnel | |||||
Country 8: Top country of training | |||||
Country 8: No. of foreign trained health personnel | |||||
Country 9: Top country of training | |||||
Country 9: No. of foreign trained health personnel | |||||
Country 10: Top country of training | |||||
Country 10: No. of foreign trained health personnel | |||||
Source (e.g. professional register, census data, national survey, other) | Lesotho Medical Pharmacy, Dentist Council | Lesotho Nursing Council | Lesotho Nursing Council | Lesotho Medical Pharmacy, Dental Council | Lesotho Medical Pharmacy Dental Council |
Year of data (Please provide the data of the latest year available) | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 |
Remarks |
Technical and financial support
Supporting country/entity | Type of support (please specify) | |
---|---|---|
USAID | Financial and Technical Assistance | |
Global Fund | Financial and Technical Assistance | |
Millenium Challenge Account MCA | Financial and Technical Assistance | |
World Bank | Financial and Technical Assistance |
Supporting country/entity: | Type of support (please specify) | |
---|---|---|
USAID | Human Resources for Health Information System | |
MCA | Health Information Systems | |
World Bank | Health Financing | |
Global Fund | Health Leadership and governace |
Supporting country/entity: | Support Area: | Type of support: | |
---|---|---|---|
UNICEF | Community health Workers Training and Development | Financing and health information system | |
Constraints, Solutions, and Complementary Comments
Main constraints | Possible solutions/recommendations | |
---|---|---|
Lack of legal frameworks | Development of legal frameworks | |
Lack of strategies, policies and stipulated procedures | Development of strategies, policies and stipulated procedures | |
Transparency and clear communication | Development of communication and advocacy strategies |
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