As the world counts down the “decade of action” to make the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals a reality, Johnson & Johnson together with our partners is taking on two of the toughest challenges facing SDG 3 and health systems —closing a 10 million health worker shortage and equipping all frontline health workers to thrive. Solving these challenges is critical to achieving key global health priorities such as universal health coverage.
The Johnson & Johnson Center for Health Worker Innovation (the Center) was founded to catalyze efforts to respond to the human resources crisis in global health and build a thriving health workforce. The Center is tasked with guiding a $250 million, 10-year commitment to support one million nurses, midwives and community health workers reaching 100 million people by 2030 and the more immediate $50 million commitment to support frontline health workers battling COVID-19. Both commitments have been made by the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation. Working with partners, the Center is developing a global portfolio of programs in regions with the highest community health burdens and frontline health worker gaps, while also ensuring that the current health workforce is thriving and resilient.
With half the world lacking access to basic, essential health services, renewing primary healthcare, which has been underfunded for decades, and placing it at the center of efforts to improve health and well-being is critical to achieving global health priorities such as Universal Health Coverage. Frontline health workers—especially nurses, midwives, and community health workers—are often the first and only link between communities and health systems. Leveraging a people-first model, the Center focuses on equipping nurses, midwives and community health workers across the globe with the skills, resources and support they need to improve quality of care and strengthen primary and community-based health systems.
Increasing the resilience and capabilities of health systems to improve equitable access to healthcare for the long term is a core priority embedded in Johnson & Johnson’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy and an imperative for Johnson & Johnson and its stakeholders. Championing global health equity is key to the Center’s mission and one of three areas where the Company is uniquely positioned to achieve the greatest impact, alongside empowering our employees and advancing environmental health.
