By: Julius Konton
Liberia is poised to play a leading role in shaping Africa’s public sector and healthcare workforce agenda as the Director-General of the Civil Service Agency, Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr., prepares to chair a major continental conference focused on strengthening public service systems and health workforce development across Africa.
Dr. Joekai, who currently serves as Chairman of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa (HaPSNA), will convene the 3rd High-Level Continental Meeting on Strengthening Public Service and Health Workforce Development in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from June 1–2, 2026.
The summit is expected to gather ministers of health, heads of civil service institutions, policymakers, technical experts, and development partners from more than 15 African countries, reinforcing a growing continental effort to address persistent workforce shortages, institutional inefficiencies, and governance gaps that continue to undermine public service delivery and healthcare systems.
A Growing Continental Platform for Reform
The upcoming meeting in Abidjan represents the third high-level engagement under Dr. Joekai’s leadership and follows earlier consultations held in Monrovia in March 2025 and Kigali, Rwanda in June 2025.
Those meetings brought together senior government officials from West and Central Africa to tackle pressing concerns surrounding health workforce development, public administration reform, and the integration of certified Community Health Workers (CHWs) into national civil service systems.
Across much of Africa, community health workers serve as frontline responders, particularly in underserved and rural communities where physician and nurse shortages remain acute.
According to continental health estimates, many African countries continue to face significant shortages in skilled health professionals, a challenge that affects disease prevention, maternal care, vaccination systems, emergency preparedness, and access to primary healthcare services.
Public-sector governance challenges including fragmented institutions, financing limitations, workforce retention problems, and uneven administrative capacity have also slowed efforts to improve healthcare outcomes and service delivery across several countries.
HaPSNA’s Role in Strengthening Governance and Workforce Systems
Established as a collaborative continental platform, the Health and Public Service Network of Africa seeks to strengthen governance systems, improve public-sector performance, and advance the development of a competent and motivated health workforce throughout Africa.
The network works closely with the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC), an international development organization supporting governments in Africa and the Caribbean through institutional strengthening, South–South cooperation, workforce development, and efforts aimed at advancing universal health coverage.
Analysts say such partnerships have become increasingly important as African governments seek cost-effective and country-led solutions to healthcare staffing shortages while strengthening civil service accountability and institutional resilience.
Community Health Program Maturity Framework to Take Center Stage
One of the major outcomes of previous HaPSNA consultations was the development of a policy and assessment instrument known as the Community Health Program Maturity Framework.
The framework functions as a diagnostic and planning tool that enables governments to assess the readiness and effectiveness of community health systems while identifying policy priorities and sequencing reforms across critical sectors, including:
Governance and institutional coordination
Health workforce management
Public financing and sustainability
Service delivery systems
Monitoring, data, and information management
Officials say the framework will feature prominently during discussions in Abidjan as participating countries present national progress reports, lessons learned, implementation challenges, and reform strategies related to integrating community health workers into formal public service structures.
Delegates are expected to compare country experiences and explore best practices for creating stronger, more accountable systems capable of delivering quality healthcare to expanding populations.
Addressing Africa’s Public Service and Health Workforce Challenges
According to organizers, the conference will focus on several structural barriers affecting both governance and health systems across the continent, including:
Public-sector inefficiencies and institutional fragmentation
Financing constraints affecting workforce sustainability
Capacity disparities between national institutions
Weak coordination between health and civil service systems
Long-term workforce planning and retention strategies
Experts increasingly warn that without sustainable workforce investment and stronger governance structures, many countries could struggle to meet rising healthcare demands fueled by rapid population growth, urbanization, disease burdens, and climate-related public health pressures.
Theme of the 2026 Meeting
The 2026 gathering will be held under the theme:
“Advancing Country-Led Pathways for Strengthening Community Health Programs through Civil Service Systems.”
The theme underscores a broader shift toward nationally owned solutions in health governance and public administration reform, emphasizing institutional sustainability rather than short-term intervention models.
Ahead of the summit, Dr. Joekai reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to continental cooperation and transformative institutional reform.
“As Chairman of HaPSNA and Director-General of the Civil Service Agency of Liberia, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to fostering strategic partnerships, professional excellence, and transformative reforms across Africa’s public service and health sectors,” Dr. Joekai stated.
Currently serving the second year of his two-year tenure as HaPSNA Chairman, Dr. Joekai is expected to lead discussions aimed at strengthening collaboration among African governments while advancing a shared vision for resilient public institutions and stronger community health systems across the continent.
