Herbst, Christopher H.

Person:
Herbst, Christopher H.

Author Name Variants

Herbst, Christopher H.

Fields of Specialization

Human resources for health, Health labor markets

Last updated:January 31, 2023

Biography

Christopher H. Herbst, PhD, is a senior health specialist in the World Bank’s Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice. He is currently based in Saudi Arabia, where he is leading the World Bank’s engagement in the health sector, providing support in the areas of noncommunicable diseases, health financing, human resources for health, and pharmaceutical systems, among other areas. Throughout his career at the World Bank, Christopher has worked in more than 25 low-, middle-, and high-income countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His research and publications focus on health systems strengthening and health workforce issues. He obtained his bachelor's from King’s College London (KCL), his master's from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and his PhD from Lancaster University (LU).

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Overweight and Obesity in Saudi Arabia: Consequences and Solutions
(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2022) Alluhidan, Mohammed; Alsukait, Reem F.; Alghaith, Taghred; Shekar, Meera; Alazemi, Nahar; Herbst, Christopher H.
Overweight and obesity are both a disease and a biological risk factor linked to noncommunicable diseases. More than half of the adult population in Saudi Arabia is overweight, and one out of five is considered obese. These rates echo what is seen in other Gulf Cooperation Countries, representing an alarming regional challenge. Overweight and obesity have a large impact on the economy - through reduced productivity, increased disability, increased health-care costs, and reduced life expectancy. As Saudi Arabia undergoes massive economic transformation through Vision 2030, addressing this issue will contribute significantly to building its human capital, ensuring higher economic growth, and sustaining a workforce that is healthy and prepared for a productive future. While the causes of overweight and obesity are complex and numerous, several innovative and multisectoral evidence-based interventions are emerging globally as promising. Saudi Arabia has already embarked on the design and implementation of several such interventions and is committed to further expanding and scaling up such efforts in order to meet national goals and achieve results.
Noncommunicable Diseases in Saudi Arabia: Toward Effective Interventions for Prevention
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021-11-12) Alqunaibet, Ada; Herbst, Christopher H.; El Saharty, Sameh; Algwaizini, Abdullah; Alqunaibet, Ada; Herbst, Christopher H.; El Saharty, Sameh; Algwaizini, Abdullah
Saudi Arabia is at an early stage of its demographic transition to an older population, and so it has an opportunity to prepare early for a rising noncommunicable disease (NCD) epidemic. NCDs, such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases and their associated behavioral risk factors—tobacco use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity—are an increasing economic and public health challenge. An aging population is expected to significantly increase the prevalence of NCDs and the related demand for costlier health care services. Interventions and reforms to prevent NCDs, and to minimize current and future treatment costs, are needed now, particularly if Saudi Arabia is to achieve the Vision 2030 goal of increasing life expectancy from 75 years in 2021 to 80 years in 2030. To support strategic planning efforts, Noncommunicable Diseases in Saudi Arabia: Toward Effective Interventions for Prevention assesses the latest evidence on the prevalence and risk factors; explores the health and economic burden of NCDs, as well as their impact on human capital; and identifies key gaps in prevention efforts and ways to address these gaps. The book discusses the need for a national master plan for NCD prevention—one that is selective and targeted, with a particular focus on improving the implementation of cost-effective interventions and achieving results. To be successful, the national master plan will need to take into account the roles of the different stakeholders and their likely responsibilities in implementation. The book will be of interest to all those who work on NCDs in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Strengthening the Pharmaceutical System in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Towards a Medicine Policy to Support Vision 2030
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020) Alghaith, Taghred; Almoteiry, Khalid; Alamri, Adwa; Alluhidan, Mohammed; Alharf, Adel; Al-Hammad, Bander; Aliafali, Ibrahim; Seiter, Andreas; Pisani, Elizabeth; Herbst, Christopher H.; El-Saharty, Sameh; Alazemi, Nahar
This document presents the major issues that were discussed in the process of working towards the development of a new medicines policy in Saudi Arabia, examining current national practice in light of international practices and experiences. The document is designed to foster discussion and help inform the development of a new national medicine policy. A detailed accounting of the evidence informing policy choices to be highlighted in an updated medicine policy are presented in Part I of this discussion paper; a proposed new National Medicine Policy itself is presented in Part ll. A new Medicine policy, once finalized and approved, will need to be implemented in a highly dynamic environment and must therefore allow for flexibility. It will need to be followed by the implementation of regulations, closely monitored, and adapted as necessary over time.
A Labor Market Assessment of Nurses and Physicians in Saudi Arabia: Addressing Future Imbalances between Need, Supply, and Demand
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-09-22) Alghaith, Taghred; Liu, Jenny X.; Alluhidan, Mohammed; Herbst, Christopher H.; Alazemi, Nahar; Alghaith, Taghred; Liu, Jenny X.; Alluhidan, Mohammed; Herbst, Christopher H.; Alazemi, Nahar; Hamza, Mariam M.; Alghodaier, Hussah; Nakshabandi, Ziad; Tashkandi, Nabiha; Hassan, Mohamed; Bruckner, Tim; Lin, Tracy Kuo; Gailey, Samantha; Alamri, Adwa; Saber, Rana; Hodhaini, Ayman; Alghamdi, Mohammed; Alansary, Lubna; Fouda, Khalid; Aljerian, Nawfal; Tulenko, Kate
Strengthening the health workforce in Saudi Arabia is central to ongoing reform efforts in the country and to the changing business priorities in the health sector and beyond. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to increase the size and performance of the Saudi health workforce to meet changing population needs and to achieve ambitious social and economic targets and goals. This book presents rigorous, empirical, and quantitative evidence to support national-level strategic planning efforts on human resources for health in Saudi Arabia. The book, a collaborative effort between the Saudi Health Council and the World Bank, is a first to anticipate and quantify projected future labor market imbalances of nurses and physicians in Saudi Arabia and to identify solutions to close those gaps. Drawing on the latest principles and modeling techniques in epidemiology and economics, the book forecasts future imbalances between epidemiological need and labor market supply and demand. It culminates in a set of policy recommendations to improve the availability, distribution, and performance of Saudi nurses and physicians. The book is expected to be of interest to health workforce planners and health systems researchers working in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
COVID-19 and Mental Health in Vulnerable Populations: A Narrative Review
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-03) Das, Abhery; Bruckner, Tim; Saxena, Shekhar; Alqunaibet, Ada; Almudarra, Sami; Herbst, Christopher H.; Alsukait, Reem; El-Saharty, Sameh; Algwaizini, Abdullah
This paper examines the global implications of COVID-19 on mental health, with a focus on four particularly vulnerable populations: (1) unemployed adults; (2) youth; (3) older-age populations; and (4) healthcare workers. Considering the global public health burden of mental disorders, understanding COVID-19’s psychological impact on vulnerable populations may provide policy makers with the information necessary to effectively direct resources. The paper focuses on these populations because racial, gender, and social class disparities endure in most educational and work opportunities.25 Additionally, health systems and work environments can perpetuate inequality among vulnerable populations, often leading to worse health outcomes. Previous pandemics and natural disasters have exacerbated income and health disparities for vulnerable populations.25 Similarly, the economic shutdown may disproportionately affect low-income or racial minority workers who work in sector most affected by COVID-19. Youth and older populations remain vulnerable because of factors associated with their age, whereas frontline healthcare workers face overwhelmed health systems and a higher risk of infection. Focusing on these vulnerable populations, the narrative review summarizes the literature addressing mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper is organized as follows: the next section summarizes current literature on the psychological impact of COVID-19 on four vulnerable populations. The following section then summarizes the findings for each of the populations, followed by a section discussing those results. The next sections provide an understanding of the current state of global mental health and recommend short, medium, and long-term policy solutions.
Fostering Human Capital in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2020-06-19) Kheyfets, Igor; El-Saharty, Sameh; Herbst, Christopher H.; Ajwad, Mohamed Ihsan
The formation of human capital--the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate over their lifetimes--is critical for the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Human capital contributes not only to□ human development and employment but also to the long-term sustainability of a diversified economic growth model that is knowledge based and private sector driven. This approach is critical, given that income from oil and gas will eventually decline and that the nature of work is evolving in response to rapid technological changes, in turn demanding new skill sets. The GCC governments have demonstrated their strong political will for □this shift: four of them are among the first countries to join the World □Bank’s Human Capital Project—a global effort to improve investments in people as measured by the Human Capital Index. The GCC countries face four main challenges: Low levels of basic proficiency among schoolchildren; A mismatch between education and the labor market; A relatively high rate of adult mortality and morbidity; A unique labor market , in which wages in the public sector are more generous than in the private sector and government employment of nationals is virtually guaranteed To address these challenges, this report outlines four strategies in a “whole-of-government” approach: Investing in high-quality early childhood development; Preparing healthier, better educated, and skilled youth for the future; Enabling greater adult labor force participation; Creating an enabling environment for human capital formation These strategies are based on best practices in other countries and feature some of the GCC countries’ plans, including their national “Visions,” to take their economies and societies further into the twenty-first century. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the GCC countries face additional challenges that may worsen some preexisting vulnerabilities and erode human capital. In response, the GCC governments have taken multiple measures to protect their populations’ health and their economies. Any□ country’s decision to reopen its economy needs to closely consider public health consequences to avoid a resurgence of infections and any further erosion of its human capital. The COVID-19 crisis underscores that the need to accelerate and improve investment in human capital has never been greater. Once the GCC countries return to a “new normal,” they will be in a position to achieve diversified and sustainable growth by adopting, and then tailoring, the strategies presented in this report.
The impact of Seven Major Noncommunicable Diseases on Direct Medical Costs, Absenteeism, and Presenteeism in Gulf Cooperation Council countries
(Taylor and Francis, 2021-07-06) Finkelstein, Eric Andrew; Malkin, Jesse D.; Baid, Drishti; Alqunaibet, Ada; Mahdi, Khaled; Hamad Al-Thani, Mohammed Bin; Bin Belaila, Buthaina Abdulla; Nawakhtha, Ebrahim Al; Alqahtani, Saleh; El-Saharty, Sameh; Herbst, Christopher H.
To estimate the current burden of seven major noncommunicable diseases on direct medical costs, absenteeism, and presenteeism in the six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The economic burden of noncommunicable diseases in Gulf Cooperation Council countries is substantial, suggesting that successful preventive interventions have the potential to improve both population health and reduce costs. Further research is needed to capture a broader array of noncommunicable diseases and to develop more precise estimates.
Scaling Up Nutrition in the Arab Republic of Egypt: Investing in a Healthy Future
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020) Elshalakani, Amr; Herbst, Christopher H.; Kakietek, Jakub; Hafiz, Alia; Petrovic, Oliver; Herbst, Christopher H.; Elshalakani, Amr; Kakietek, Jakub; Hafiz, Alia; Petrovic, Oliver; Akuoku, Jonathan Kweku; Hu, Frank; Li, Yanpiang; Sakr-Ashour, Fayrouz; Ljungqvist, Bjorn; Robinson, Matthew; de Beni, Davide; Connolly, Helen C.
Malnutrition is a huge burden on the Arab Republic of Egypt's economy. Undernutrition--manifested by poor linear growth (stunting), wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies in children, and by anemia among women of reproductive age--collectively saps an estimated two percent of Egypt’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) through forgone productivity and health care costs, representing an economic hemorrhaging of billions of U.S. dollars per year. Adding to this challenge is the co-occurence of overweight and obesity among children, leading to a malnutrition double burden. Scaling Up Nutrition in the Arab Republic of Egypt aims to inform the development of a nutrition policy and strategy and to guide nutrition investments over the coming years. It reviews Egypt’s nutrition situation, the interventions currently in place, and opportunities to scale up the response. In addition, it analyzes the fiscal implications of scaling up key interventions, including estimates of the costs and benefits and an assessment of the required fiscal space. It argues that any interventions to address the burden of malnutrition need to also take into account the coexistence of overweight and obesity.
Strengthening Post-Ebola Health Systems: From Response to Resilience in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018) Ajumobi, Oluwayemisi; Govindaraj, Ramesh; Rockmore, Christophe; Herbst, Christopher H.; Zine Eddine El Idrissi, Moulay Driss; Workie, Netsanet; Clark, John Paul; Govindaraj, Ramesh; Herbst, Christopher H.; Ajumobi, Oluwayemisi; Rockmore, Christophe; Zine Eddine El Idrissi, Moulay Driss; Workie, Netsanet; Clark, John Paul
Strengthening Post-Ebola Health Systems addresses the challenge of enabling the development of viable, resilient, and fiscally sustainable health system in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Initiated while Ebola was still raging in all of the three most-affected countries in West Africa, it identifies the requirements for strengthening the health systems in these countries to go beyond just getting the number of Ebola cases to zero. The overall goal of this study is thus twofold: To assess the capacity of the health systems of the three most-affected countries in terms of their ability to deliver quality health services to their populations, perform core public health functions on a routine basis, and to respond to public health emergencies; and To identify the highest impact strategies to help these countries to strengthen their health systems to be more effective and resilient, drilling down into three key aspects of the health system--that is, fiscal space for universal health coverage (UHC), development and deployment of an effective health workforce, and continuous disease surveillance.
Health Labor Market Analyses in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Evidence-Based Approach
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2016-10-12) Scheffler, Richard M.; Herbst, Christopher H.; Lemiere, Christophe; Campbell, Jim; Scheffler, Richard M.; Herbst, Christopher H.; Lemiere, Christophe; Campbell, Jim; Araújo, Edson C.; Bruckner, Tim; Damascène Butera, Jean; Cohen, Robert; El Maghraby, Atef; Jaskiewicz, Wanda; Keuffel, Eric; Leonard, Kenneth; Lievens, Tomas; Liu, Lenny; Mæstad, Ottar; Menkulasi, Genta; Ozden, Caglar; Phillips, David; Preker, Alex S.; Scott, Anthony; Serneels, Pieter; Soucat, Agnes; Spetz, Joanne; Tulenko, Kate; Zolia, Yah M.
This book, produced jointly by the World Bank, the University of California, Berkeley, and the WHO, aims to provide decision-makers at sub-national, national, regional and global levels with additional insights into how to address their workforce challenges rather than describe them. In order to optimize and align HRH investments and develop targeted policy responses, a thorough understanding of unique, country-specific labor market dynamics and determinants of these dynamics is critical. Policies need to take into account the fact that workers are economic actors, responsive to different levels of compensation and opportunities to generate revenue found in different sub-labor markets. Policies need to take into account the behavioral characteristics of the individuals who provide health care, but also the individuals who consume health care services and the institutions that employ health personnel. In other words, it is necessary to understand the determinants of both the supply (numbers of health workers willing to work in the health sector) and the demand for health workers (resources available to hire health workers), how these interact, and how this interaction varies in different contexts. This interaction will determine the availability of health personnel, their distribution as well as their performance levels, thus ensuring stronger health systems capable to deliver universal health coverage. The book is structured to be of use to researchers, planners, and economists who are tasked with analyzing key areas of health labor markets, including overall labor market assessments as well as and more narrow and targeted analyses of demand and supply (including production and migration), performance, and remuneration of health workers. The chapters, written by a number of internationally renowned experts on Human Resources for Health, discuss data sources and empirical tools that can be used to assess health labor markets across high-, middle- or low-income countries, but draws primarily from examples and case-studies in LMICs.