Kate Tulenko

Former Vice President of Health Systems Innovation

"I’ve always been committed to primary care,” says Kate Tulenko, a physician and global health specialist. “Recruiting and training people locally, and recruiting and training people in primary care are part of the solution to the global shortage of health workers."

When Tulenko joined the World Bank in 2002, she was surprised to see that no one was working on issues related to the health workforce, which plays a huge role in whether or not a community can thrive and prosper. So she helped create the Africa Health Workforce Program to address the shortage, low productivity, and maldistribution of health workers throughout Africa.

In addition to her work at the World Bank, she has been an advisor to national governments on health policy and reform and served on expert panels for the World Health Organization, the American Public Health Association, the Global Health Workforce Alliance, and the American Hospital Association. Tulenko offers consulting services in a variety of fields, including workforce planning and management, health systems innovation, and universal access to care.

 

VITAL

Africa Will Be Short 6 Million Health Workers by 2030

But its countries could still achieve universal health coverage if they take action now.

Can the World's Expanding Health Sector Heal Our Economies?

The health sector will likely become the largest source of job creation worldwide for the next decade.

Zika: The Cost of Doing Nothing

We must move more quickly to keep the cost of Zika—estimated at $5 billion—from doubilng or tripling, says Dr. Kate Tulenko in the new issue of Global Health & Diplomacy

Six Reasons Ministries of Finance Should Invest in Health Workers

Last week's talks in Ethiopia resulted in a powerful new advocacy tool: the Addis Ababa Call to Action on financing the health workforce.

Why We Need Data on Frontline Health Workers

mPowering Frontline Health Workers sits down with Dr. Kate Tulenko to talk about community health workers and how data about them can improve global health.

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AUTHORED RESOURCES

The UN High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth: The Opportunity for Communities and their Primary Health Systems

Focusing on the UN High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth, this paper examines its potential impact on primary healthcare to communities. It contains a set of curated...

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Cost-Effectiveness of Rural Incentive Packages for Graduating Medical Students in Lao PDR

The dearth of health workers in rural settings in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) limits healthcare access and outcomes. In evaluating non-wage financial incentive packages as a potential...

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Health Workforce Requirements for Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 sets out the policy agenda to ensure a workforce that is fit for purpose to attain the targets of the...

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Ebola SMS Course for Health Workers

This Ebola SMS course is designed to help get information quickly to health workers in Ebola-affected and at-risk countries. 

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Health Professional School Leadership and Health Sector Reform, Performance, and Practice

This technical brief highlights some examples of how the education and research leadership of health professional schools has engaged, influenced, or obtained resources from national policy-makers...

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