Addressing workforce shortages across Latin America
Across Latin America, nurses and community health workers are filling gaps in care and connecting their communities to the health services they need. However, shortages in the health workforce are deepening existing inequities throughout the region. Many communities face long wait times and extensive travel distances, costing them their time and livelihood to access health services.
The same financial and geographical barriers that keep people from care can also limit local health workers from accessing the educational opportunities they need to improve care in their communities, trapping them in a cycle that keeps quality care out of reach.
Strengthening a thriving health workforce
To help solve this challenge, J&J CareCommunity, with support from the J&J Foundation, is investing $2.2 million to expand our efforts and equip an estimated 70,000 health workers across Latin America with the training and resources they need to transform care delivery in their communities.
“This initiative reflects our deep commitment to communities throughout the region. By working hand-in-hand with local partners, we’re scaling solutions that equip health workers to deliver quality care in more communities across Latin America.” - Bruno Costa Gabriel, International Vice President, J&J Innovative Medicine in Latin America
We’re supporting nine new programs spanning Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico, to help provide easily accessible skills and leadership trainings for nurses and community health workers, so they can better serve their communities. These programs include:
- Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development in Health (Fiotec): Providing community health workers with the Health System of Amazonas with more than 20 hours of technical and scientific education to improve care for water-borne illnesses.
- Conselho Federal de Enfermagem (COFEN): Promoting the development of care administration and management skills among nurse technicians through 300 hours of hybrid learning.
- ImpulsoGov: Building community health workers’ primary and mental health care capacities through hybrid learning opportunities.
- Oswaldo Cruz: Training oncology nurses to address the growing demand for specialists.
- Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Hospital Albert Einstein (Albert Einstein): Developing an AI app for nurses and community health workers to support management of hypertension.
- Synergos: Delivering evidence-based, virtual learning for nurses to expand access to professional development and support institutional capacities.
- Italian Hospital University: Strengthening community health worker capacity through continuous education in medical services, medical management, digital transformation and patient-focused care.
- University of Antioquia, National Faculty of Public Health: Developing and rolling out environmental health surveillance training for community health workers.
- Doctor Payaso: Strengthening and implementing leadership and resilience skills for nursing and general medicine professionals.
In addition to financial support, participating organizations will receive mentorship from J&J CareCommunity Fellows, a J&J employee fellowship that matches organizations with J&J employees to bridge skills gaps, and will have the opportunity to participate in the Impact Ventures by J&J Foundation supported AI accelerator, Turn.io, to bring cutting-edge technology solutions to healthcare challenges.
“Through J&J CareCommunity, we’re building a future where nurses and community health workers can access the tools, training, and support needed to transform care in their communities.” says Howard Reid, Head of Global Health Equity, Johnson & Johnson, “When we invest in those closest to communities, we can help build stronger, more resilient health systems.”
By working with local organizations to provide easily accessible learning opportunities, we can help improve the delivery of quality, community-centered care in hard-to-reach places across the region.
Looking forward: Building stronger communities together
This initiative is part of our lasting commitment to equip health workers with the tools and training they need to serve their communities. In early 2025, we launched J&J CareCommunity, a global social impact platform from Johnson & Johnson, that builds on our legacy of strengthening health systems by championing nurses and community health workers so more communities have access to quality care around the world.
By reaching 70,000 more health workers, we can help transform care delivery, strengthen communities, and bridge the gaps that have left too many people without access to quality healthcare. Each trained nurse will return to their hospital better equipped to handle complex cases. Each community health worker engaged will be able to provide more comprehensive care to families in urban and remote areas.
Through initiatives like this, in Latin America and beyond, we can help strengthen the connection between health systems and communities, so that care can reach more people, wherever they live.