Table 1.

The AAAQ framework: a sequence of four, critical dimensions for analysing human

Framework dimensions	Operational definition
Availability	The sufficient supply, appropriate stock of health workers, with the relevant competencies and skill mix that corresponds to the health needs of the population
Accessibility	The equitable distribution of health workers in terms of travel time and transport (spatial), opening hours and corresponding workforce attendance (temporal), the infrastructure’s attributes (physical—such as disabled-friendly buildings), referral mechanisms (organizational) and the direct and indirect cost of services, both formal and informal (financial)
Acceptability	The characteristics and ability of the workforce to treat all patients with dignity, create trust and enable or promote demand for services; this may take different forms such as a same-sex provider or a provider who understands and speaks one’s language and whose behaviour is respectful according to age, religion, social, cultural values, etc.
Quality	The competencies, skills, knowledge and behaviour of the health worker as assessed according to professional norms (or other guiding standards) and as perceived by users

Source: Campbell J, Dussault G, Buchan J, Pozo-Martin F, Guerra Arias M, Leone C, Siyam A, Cometto G. A Universal Truth: No Health Without a Workforce: Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health Report. Geneva : Global Health Workforce Alliance and World Health Organization, 2014