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Alliance News Digest

Information

WEEK OF 07 August 2009

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News from Global Health Workforce Alliance

• "Essential HRH elements in funding proposals", 2nd topic of The Exchange - The Alliance
  The second discussion of the Alliance Community of Practice "The Exchange" will run from Monday 3 August to Wednesday 12 August 2009.
  
  

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

• Kilwa feels impact of medical staff shortage - The Citizen, Tanzania
  Shortage of medical workers in Kilwa has been singled out as the major cause of the district�s poor delivery of health services.
  

• EDITORIAL: Sluggish health sector needs push - This Day, Tanzania
  It seems the health sector does not seem to have benefited to the same extent from the innovative strategic thinking and planning that other sectors have benefited from.
  

• Desperate need for mental health workers in Sierra Leone - Patriotic Vanguard, Sierra Leone
  Clinical psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and psychiatric nurses come to Sierra Leone once a year to teach psychiatry to some of the health workers.
  

• Early ART: A Stitch in Time... - IPS-Africa
  The shortage of healthcare workers is partially caused by the fact that thousands of African nurses and doctors are working abroad.
  

• Working Towards an Improved African Health System - Sango Net Pulse. SA
  African health workers continue to be overworked, underpaid and often unappreciated, despite the fact that they form the foundation of the continent’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
  

• Emiratis snubbing careers in nursing - college dean - Arabian Business, UAE
  Nursing colleges in the UAE are failing to recruit Emirati nurses, despite government-funded full scholarships, the dean of a prominent nursing school has claimed.
  

• Health Workers Vow to Excel - New Times, Rwanda
  President Paul Kagame challenged practitioners in the health sector that their role now transcends beyond providing health services to playing a vital role in the economic development of the country.
  

• Labor Ministry planning emergency job call-up for swine flu - Israel News
  Following Health Ministry warnings, Industry, government bracing itself for lack of working hands this winter as a result of H1N1 virus outbreak, says it will be possible to recruit workers under emergency work law.
  
  

ASIA AND PACIFIC

• Govt to announce 'relief package' for diarrhea-affected mid-western districts as health-workers flee en masse - Nepal News
  The number of people dying due to the lack of enough health workers and medicines continue to rise in diarrhea-hit districts of mid-western Nepal.
  

• Lack of midwives a problem - The Nation on Sunday, Sri Lanka
  ACHSU charged that the lack of Midwives in the country has resulted in zeroing in one midwife to 20,000 citizens in the country.
  

• Fomca fear major foreign stakeholders - New Straits Times, Malaysia
  there will be rampant pinching of specialists, doctors and paramedical staff from the government hospitals, thus worsening the brain drain and affecting the quality of services.
  

• More unified approach to health workforce planning - New Zealand Doctor Online
  Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced a new national health workforce training board to unify workforce planning in New Zealand.
  

• Just reward for workers - Fiji Times
  THE Ministry of Health is looking at ways to reward community health workers, including village nurses and others who help out.
  

• Healthcare access for all should be our goal - The Australian
  There will be further consultation with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals that will shape the plan he will take to the states in order to forge an agreement.
  
  

NORTH AMERICA

• Free online course available to health professions students - News Channel 34, NY
  Free online course available to health professions students Health professions students in Central New York are invited to take a free online course in ovarian cancer.
  

• IOM Panel Studying Health Workers' H1N1 PPE Needs - Occupational Health & Safety
  By Sept. 1, the 14-member committee will provide a letter report to CDC and OSHA addressing personal protective equipment needs for this crucial workforce.
  

• Malawi halts nursing brain drain - CNN
  Like most African countries, Malawi has suffered from a severe shortage of nurses and key health workers.
  

• Health workers help Guatemala - Sun Journal, Maine
  The Western Maine Health Employee Activity Committee and employees of Western Maine Health joined recently in support of the Safe Passage program.
  

• Hamilton's Community hospital will shut down obstetric services - Post-Standard, NY
  Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton is going to stop delivering babies because it does not have enough doctors or money to run its low-volume obstetric practice.
  

• Congressional Black Caucus Keeps Health Care On The Front Burner - Seatlle Medium
  The original House and Senate bills would significantly reduce the staggering number of uninsured Americans, of which are disparately Black.
  

• Research Roundup: Nurse Retention, Young Uninsured Adults, Recession And Health, Medicare Rx Prices - Kaiser Health News
  Various research papers examine an array of health issues including nurse retention, Medicare prescription drugs, young uninsured adults and the recession's impact on health.
  

• New flu guidelines issued for health workers - Globe and Mail, Canada
  Federal health authorities have issued new guidelines for front-line health workers to help contain and prevent the spread of H1N1.
  
  

EUROPE

• Health lessons in the field - Financial Times, UK
  Global health delivery is an emerging field that looks at how healthcare can reach the neediest people in both wealthy and developing countries.
  

• UK offers to help world’s poorest countries provide free health care - British Medical Journal, UK
  The UK prime minister, Gordon Brown, has approached governments of some of the world’s poorest countries, offering to help them develop free healthcare services.
  

• US Senate committee investigates conflicts of interest in industry funded medical education - British Medical Journal, UK
  Prominent academic doctors and a medical students’ leader have criticised continuing medical education funded by industry at a hearing of the US Senate Special Subcommittee on Aging.
  

• Who should get the swine flu vaccine? - The Telegraph, UK
  According to the World Health Organisation, frontline health workers are the top priority, followed by the most vulnerable groups.
  

• Soldiers occupy Honduras hospitals as strikes spread - AFP
  Soldiers occupied state hospitals in an increasingly tense Honduras on Thursday as health workers declared an indefinite strike.
  

• Greater integration will result from new HSE/Department strategy - Irish Medical Times
  An Integrated Workforce Planning Strategy for the health service has been completed and is due to be published within a month.
  

• Onet Maison de retraite : ouverture le 14 septembre - Midi Libre, France
  Nous avons peu de candidatures adéquates pour les infirmières, il y a une grosse pénurie sur ce secteur » , explique Frédérique Modolo.
  

• El PP denuncia que los centros de atención primaria están saturados - Diario Sur, Spain
  El PP denunció ayer la situación de saturación en la que se encuentran los centros de salud de atención primaria de la ciudad durante el verano..
  

• Cavaco Silva promulga Estatuto dos Médicos - Expresso, Portugal
  Ao fim dos 40 dias regulamentares, o Presidente da República promulgou o Estatuto que estabelece uma carreira única para os médicos.
  
  

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

• Revela una aguda crisis el diagnóstico de los hospitales públicos en Puebla - e-Consulta Noticias, Mexico
  Los hospitales y centros de salud de los Servicios de Salud en Puebla se encuentran en una de sus peores crisis al presentar deficiencias serias en el número de enfermeras, consultorios, personal médico, medicamentos y equipo.
  

• "La salud se mezcló con política" - El Universal, Venezuela
  Entrevista // Giannina Sue, presidenta de la sociedad médica de la Maternidad Concepción Palacios.
  

• Reporta IMSS de Nuevo Laredo 70 vacantes para médicos - SDP Noticias, Mexico
  La falta de interés de médicos y especialistas foráneos ha ocasionado que alrededor de 70 plazas que ofrece el IMSS en Nuevo Laredo.
  

• Uma cidade repleta de médicos - Correio de Uberlândia, Brazil
  Proporção é de um médico para 375 habitantes e 40 formandos/ano.
  

• El gremio de médicos solicita declarar emergencia en Bolívar - El Universal, Venezuela
  Confían en el nuevo ministro de Salud porque conoce situación de la región
  

• Médicos y enfermeras mantienen paro - La Opinión. DR
  Los médicos y enfermeras dominicanos ratificaron ayer su disposición de mantener el paro de labores hasta que el Gobierno acceda a su pedido de un aumento salarial.
  

• El Garrahan capacitará a pediatras comodorenses - Patagónico Net, Argentina
  Es para desempeñarse en el area de terapia intensiva infantil que se proyecta instalar a corto plazo en el hospital regional.
  
  

News from WHO and partners

• Breastfeeding: a vital emergency response. Are you ready? - WHO
  Statement by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.
  

• Countries of the Americas Promote Sex Education to Prevent HIV - PAHO/WHO
  Experts cite progress, call for more action on anniversary of ministerial accord.
  

• Addressing gaps in surgical skills training by means of low-cost simulation at Muhimbili University in Tanzania - Human Resources for Health Journal
  Providing basic surgical and emergency care in rural settings is essential, particularly in Tanzania, where the mortality burden addressable by emergency and surgical interventions has been estimated at 40%.
  

• Retention of health workers in Malawi: perspectives of health workers and district management - Human Resources for Health Journal
  Shortage of human resources is a major problem facing Malawi, where more than 50% of the population lives in rural areas.
  

• Sending money home: a mixed-methods study of remittances sent by migrant nurses in Ireland - Human Resources for Health Journal
  This paper presents data on the remittances sent by migrant nurses to their families "back home". It gives voice to the experiences of migrant nurses and illustrates the financial obligations they maintain while working overseas.
  

• Merlin welcomes fresh expertise to Board of Trustees - Merlin.org. UK
  Merlin is delighted to announce the arrival of Dr David Heymann, Anne Austen and Lloyd Shepherd to its Board of Trustees..