World Health Day: Alliance member Wemos advocates at Dutch high-level roundtable
On World Health Day 2011 Alliance member and Dutch NGO Wemos Foundation is organizing a high-level roundtable at the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The purpose is to advocate for practical and urgent solutions to the health workforce shortages, and to present the Dutch edition of its latest publication "Chances for Change". This high-level gathering will bring together relevant stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as unions, professional and social organizations.
Wemos has been a very active advocate for the adoption in 2010 of the WHO global Code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel. By organizing the high-level roundtable on World Health Day this year, Wemos intends to promote and facilitate the exchange of views on the implementation of the Code in the Netherlands. The envisioned outcome is a so-called 'wall of commitments’ on which the various parties indicate what their contribution will be.
"The Netherlands is increasingly concerned about the shortage of health workers, not only in the developing world but also in its own country. Some Dutch hospitals have even started to recruit actively abroad," said Anke Tijtsma, Director of Wemos. "The WHO Code will help us advocate for ethical recruitment practices which take into account the impact and interest of both the origin as well as the recipient countries."
Wemos and its partner organization Cordaid - also member of the Alliance - will seize this opportunity to present their latest publication "Chances for Change. Dutch measures to improve the global distribution of health personnel."
The Alliance is proud to count with such active and dedicated members like Wemos and Cordaid. Regular updates on their work will be made available on the Alliance web site.
