In countries with a high AIDS prevalence, the health workforce is affected by AIDS in several ways. In Zambia, which has a 16.5% prevalence rate, a 2004 study aimed to: explore the impact of HIV/AIDS on health workers, describe their coping mechanisms and recommend supportive measures. Interviews revealed that counsellors and nurses were especially at risk for emotional exhaustion. AIDS complicates the already difficult work environment. In addition to health workers, management also needs support in dealing with AIDS at the workplace.
Human Resources
Perceptions of the impact of HIV/AIDS on health workers in two districts in Zambia
Dieleman M, Biemba G, Mphuka S: Health Policy and Planning 22(3): 139-148
Scaling up priority health interventions in Tanzania: The human resources challenge
Kurowski C, Wyss K, Abdulla S, Mills A: Health Policy and Planning 22(3):113-127, 2007
Effective and often cheap interventions exist to achieve the MDGs by 2015. In Tanzania, one of the poorest countries of the world, we explored the human resources challenges of expanding the coverage of such priority interventions. Even in an optimistic scenario, human resource availability will limit the extent to which priority interventions can be expanded in Tanzania, and the government will not be able to avoid adjusting the globally set targets for service coverage and health outcomes to local realities and priorities.
The exodus of health professionals from sub-Saharan Africa: Balancing human rights and societal needs in the 21st century
Ogilvie L, Mill JE, Astle B, et al: Nursing Inquiry 14(2): 114–124, 2007
Increased international migration of health professionals is weakening healthcare systems in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. As nurses form the backbone of healthcare systems in many of the affected countries, accelerating migration of nurses is most critical. In this paper we present a comprehensive analysis of the literature and argue that, from a human rights perspective, there are competing rights in the international migration of health professionals: the right to leave one’s country to seek a better life; the right to health of populations in the source and destination countries; labour rights; the right to education; and the right to nondiscrimination and equality.
The metrics and correlates of physician migration from Africa
Arah OA: BMC Public Health 7:83, 17 May 2007
Physician migration from poor to rich countries is considered an important contributor to the growing health workforce crisis in the developing world. This is particularly true for Africa. The perceived magnitude of such migration for each source country might, however, depend on the choice of metrics used in the analysis. This study examined the influence of choice of migration metrics on the rankings of African countries that suffered the most physician migration, and investigated the correlates of physician migration.
Key elements of a regulatory framework in support of in-country implementation of "task shifting"
World Health Organisation; UN Office of the US Global AIDS (OGAC), February 2007
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) convened representatives from HIV Programmes and Human Resources for Health Departments from Ministries of Health, Professional Associations, Academic Institutions and representatives from workers associations in Geneva for a two day technical consultation about the need for a regulatory framework in support of Task Shifting. The meeting signaled the beginning of a new expert partnership for driving forward the Task Shifting Project in the context of the wider HIV/AIDS and health workforce plan “Treat, Train, Retain”.
Medicines without doctors: Why the Global Fund must fund salaries of Health Workers to expand AIDS treatment
Ooms G, Van damme W, Temmerman M: Plos Medicine, 17 April 2007
Recent comments from the inside of the Global Fund suggest an intention to focus more on the three diseases, and to leave the strengthening of health systems and the support to the health workforce to others. This might create "Medicines Without Doctors" situations: situations in which the medicines to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are available, but not the doctors or the nurses to prescribe those medicines adequately.
Training shopkeepers to improve malaria home management in rural Kenya
id21 Health News, 15 December 2006
In rural Kenya, where qualified pharmacists are rare, many people buy medicines from general shops to treat themselves at home. Often they receive incorrect medication or doses. Would the training of shopkeepers, who help treat the majority of children with fevers, be cost-effective in improving malaria treatment in young children?
WHO D-G: Shortage of health workers in developing countries undermines essential services, including treatments for HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria
Kaiser Network, 5 April 2007
Thousands of health care professionals have left their homes in developing nations in search of higher paying jobs in wealthier countries, Reuters reports. According to WHO's World Health Report 2006, there is a shortage of more than four million health care workers in 57 developing countries. The report said one-quarter of physicians and one in 20 nurses trained in Africa currently work in 30 industrialized countries included in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Sub-Saharan Africa has 24% of the global disease burden but only 3% of the health care workforce worldwide and accounts for less than 1% of global health care spending, the report said. The Americas have 10% of the global disease burden, 37% of the health care workforce and account for more than half of global health care spending, the report found.
International action needed to increase health workforce
World Health Organisation, 13 March 2007
A new international Task Force was launched and met for the first time in March to tackle the global shortage of health workers. With a shortfall of 4.3 million health workers worldwide, including more than 1 million in Africa alone, there is an urgent need to increase the number of doctors, nurses, health managers and other health care workers needed to face immediate health crises. The new global Task Force is co-chaired by Bience Gawanas, the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, and includes African Ministers of Health from Uganda and Malawi, as well as senior health policy makers from across the globe, from the public and private sectors, and both developing and developed countries. Together these leaders in health and education will champion the need for significantly increased investment in the education and training of health workers in developing countries, and will build international commitment to practical action.
Short report: OGAC/WHO meeting on Community Health Workers (CHWs)
World Health Organisation, 12-13 February 2007
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) convened representatives from HIV Programmes and Human Resources for Health Departments from Ministries of Health, Professional Associations, Academic Institutions and representatives from workers associations in Geneva for a two day technical consultation about the need for a regulatory framework in support of Task Shifting. The meeting signaled the beginning of a new expert partnership for driving forward the Task Shifting Project in the context of the wider HIV/AIDS and health workforce plan “Treat, Train, Retain”.