05/08/2026
Building a Health Workforce for All: The Power of International Collaboration
By: Mary Ajwang, Jonatan Konfino, Marx Lwabanya, Shuba Nagesh
Mary, Jonatan, Marx and Shubha are all Senior Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity.
The Social Mission Alliance 2026 Conference, held in Los Angeles on March 30–31, 2026, brought together a global community focused on one shared goal: building a health workforce that works for everyone. With the theme For Us All: Transforming the Health Workforce, the conference created space for learning, reflection, and action at a time when health systems across the world face growing pressure and deep inequality.
Since its founding in 2012, the Social Mission Alliance (previously the Beyond Flexner Alliance) has convened educators, clinicians, students and leaders from different fields. The aim has been clear. Health professions education must do more than train skilled workers. It must also prepare people to respond to inequality, work with communities, and support fairness in health systems. Over the years, the conference has helped spark new ideas, partnerships and practical tools that support this work.
The 2026 conference focused on key areas, including socially responsible lea op dership, community engagement, workforce expansion, curriculum change and supportive learning environments. These are not abstract ideas. Many countries are facing health worker shortages, rising costs, and gaps between training and real needs on the ground. Education systems are being asked to do more, often with limited resources.
One of the strengths of the conference, held annually, is the wide range of participants. People from medicine, nursing, dentistry, social work, public health, and policy come together. Students and early career professionals join experienced leaders. This mix allows for open exchange and helps break barriers between fields.
As international participants from Asia, Africa and Latin America, the conference offered us not only a chance to learn, but also to shape the conversation. Too often, global health discussions are led by a small group of institutions. This can limit the range of ideas and solutions that are considered. When delegates from different regions are present, the discussion becomes richer and more grounded in reality. Many health systems in these regions have long worked with limited funding, staff shortages and high disease burden. This has led to creative and flexible solutions. Community health worker models, task sharing, and strong local networks are examples of approaches that have come from these settings. These are not backup options. In many cases, they are leading examples of how to deliver care in difficult conditions.
International participants also bring a deep understanding of community engagement. In many parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America, health systems depend on trust between providers and communities. Programs are often built with local input, not just for local people. This experience is important at a time when many health systems are trying to rebuild trust.
The current global situation makes this exchange even more important. We are living in a time of rising conflict, economic pressure and political tension. Health systems are affected by these changes. Funding is uncertain. Migration of health workers is increasing. Climate change is creating new health risks. Inequality between and within countries is growing. Denialist narratives are growing, undermining public trust in science and weakening confidence in the global community’s ability to coordinate efforts for people-centered care.
In this context, international participants bring more than technical knowledge. They bring lived experience of working in unstable and changing environments. They understand how policies play out in real life. They see how global decisions affect local systems. This perspective is critical for honest and grounded discussions.
They can also challenge assumptions. Ideas that work in one country may not work in another. International voices help test these ideas. They ask important questions. Who benefits from this model? Who is left out? What resources are needed? These questions help prevent one-size-fits-all approaches, which often impose Global North perspectives on the Global South and risk reinforcing colonial patterns of cooperation.
It is not enough to invite participation. There must be space to lead, speak, and influence outcomes. This includes fair representation in panels, support for travel and access, and respect for different forms of knowledge.
The value of an international conference lies in connection. It brings together people who may not otherwise meet. These short interactions can lead to long-term collaboration. Joint research, shared training programs and policy exchange can all grow from these spaces. These networks can support future work, open new opportunities, and strengthen regional and global partnerships. They can also help bring attention to issues that may not be widely known.
At the same time, the exchange must go both ways. International delegates are not only learners. They are contributors. Their ideas, experiences, and questions are essential to building a more complete picture of global health.
In the end, the goal of the Social Mission Alliance Conference is simple but important. It is about building a healthy workforce that is fair, skilled, and responsive to real needs. It requires shared learning and honest dialogue.
The Social Mission Alliance 2026 Conference offered a space for different voices, experiences, and ideas. In a world that is becoming more divided, such spaces matter even more.
For international fellows, the message is clear. Our voices are not just welcome, but needed. SMA gives us a chance to have our voices heard.
