A/HRC/7/11 page 20 1. A health workforce 75. While human resources in health have attracted increasing attention in recent years, the human rights dimensions of the issue rarely receive significant consideration. If the general approach outlined in section C were applied to health workers, the following points would be among those that need detailed examination. 76. A State should have an up-to-date development plan for human resources in preventive, curative and rehabilitative health; it should encompass physical and mental health. 77. When planning, the State should consider providing a role for mid-level providers, such as assistant medical officers and surgical technicians, as well as public health workers. Described as a key strategy to uphold the fundamental human right to health, mid-level providers are already an essential part of the health systems in some countries, such as Mozambique.31 78. Recruitment of health workers must include outreach programmes to disadvantaged individuals, communities and populations, such as indigenous peoples.32 79. Effective measures are required towards achieving a gender balance among health workers in all fields. 80. The State should ensure that the number of domestically trained health workers is commensurate with the health needs of the population, subject to progressive realization and resource availability. In this context, appropriate balances must be struck between, for example, the number of health workers at the community or primary level and specialists at the tertiary level. 81. The number of health workers should be collected, centralized and made publicly available. The data should be broken down by category, e.g. nurse, public health professional and so on. The various categories should be disaggregated, as a minimum, by gender. 82. Health workers’ training must include human rights, including respect for cultural diversity, as well as the importance of treating patients and others with courtesy. This issue is explored in the Special Rapporteur’s report on health workers and human rights education.33 83. After qualifying, all health workers must have opportunities, without discrimination, for further professional training. 31 See Health Systems Strengthening for Equity (HSSE): The Power and Potential of Mid-Level Providers at www.midlevelproviders.org 32 “Health workers” include all those developing, managing, delivering, monitoring and evaluating preventive, curative and rehabilitative health in the private and public health sectors, including traditional healers. 33 A/60/348.