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Alliance News Digest

Information

WEEK OF 23 October 2009

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

• Govt to hire 5700 medical personnel - Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. (10/17)
  Government intends to employ 20 nurses per constituency.
  

• Michigan Varsity Trains 40 in Aviation, Nursing - This Day, Nigeria. (10/20)
  As part of scholarship scheme, Western Michigan University trains students from Abia State on aviation and nursing.
  

• UGANDA: Camp closures worry HIV-positive IDPs - PlusNews-Africa. (10/14)
  Refugees fear return to their villages due to lack of available health services.
  

• Conference of Medical Superintendents Group opens - Ghana News Agency. (10/15)
  inadequate infrastructure and lack of key personnel including pathologists hinder clinical medical research.
  

• Another Woman Dies in Labour 'Out of Negligence' - Daily Monitor, Uganda. (10/15)
  Lack of adequate health services and staff have led to many casualties in maternity ward.
  

• UCH Doctors Embark On Strike - Daily Champion, Nigeria. (10/21)
  UCH management recently increased the accomodation tariff being paid by resident doctors by 700 per cent.
  

• IMF accused of impeding health sector progress - Business Daily Africa. (10/15)
  Kenya urgently needs 10,000 nurses but an eight per cent ceiling on wage spend has made it difficult to hire them.
  

• Be kind, health workers urged - New Vision, Uganda (10/20)
  A total of 444 students, 246 of them females, got diplomas and certificates in enrolled nursing, midwifery and comprehensive nursing.
  
  

ASIA AND PACIFIC

• ‘Intensify barangay’s dengue drive’ - Inquirer Global Nation, Philippines. (10/16)
  Health workers in Cebu are requested to intensify information campaign on dengue virus prevention.
  

• 'Made in India' dominates US AIDS scheme - Business Standard, India. (10/16)
  PEPFAR plans to support training for at least 140,000 health care workers in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care.
  

• Mission accomplished for Okinawa 'substitute doctor' - Japan Times. (10/17)
  After Japan's defeat, Okinawa was flooded with starving and sick people. But only about 60 doctors survived the war.
  

• Hospital workers speak out Taranaki - Daily News, New Zealand
  Finance Minister has said that health workers could face five years without a pay rise.
  

• Rural GPs glad to bend Kevin Rudd's ear - The Australian. (10/17)
  Rural doctors requests that their needs be taken into consideration when the government decides presents its health reform proposals.
  

• New Clinical Training Agency Board appointed - New Zealand Doctor. (10/16)
  Media release from health minister Tony Ryall to announce appointment of Board to unify workforce planning in New Zealand
  

• Health Board denies hospital review claims - Ashburton Guardian, New Zealand. (10/21)
  Due to shortage of midwives at Ashburton hospital, women have to travel to other communities to give birth.
  
  

NORTH AMERICA

• Governor Rendell Announces Application for $5 Million Federal Recovery Act Grant to Train, Place Health Care Workers - PR Newswire. (10/19)
  Pennsylvania has requested Federal Act want to further train health workers seeking careers in health field.
  

• Nurses' Union Plans to Strike - Wall Street Journal. (10/20)
  The California nurses association with 13,000 member nurses, is presently negotiating contracts with expired in June.
  

• Return of India's Traditional Birth Attendants Urged to Meet MDG 5 - IPS Terra Viva. (10/15)
  India’s maternal mortality rate is 10 times higher than in China.
  

• Flu shots not mandatory for local health workers - Star News Online, NC. (10/16)
  Hospitals in Southeastern, NC have not made flue shots compulsory, but request workers to sign a declination form.
  

• Curbing costs falls to wayside in health-reform push - Denver Post. (10/18)
  Most say team-care approach would save, but it's not in bills.
  

• What Might Health Care Reform Have to Do With H1N1? - Huffington Post. (10/19)
  a strong public health infrastructure is integral to a nation's ability to respond to a public health disaster.
  

• HEALTH CARE AND PHYSICIAN SHORTAGES - Cypress Times, TX. (10/16)
  U.S. physician workforce is facing current or future shortages.
  

• Health workers say passing I-1033 will hurt - Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash. (10/20)
  Initiative 1033 to be voted on 3 November, would cap revenues at 2010 fixed levels.
  

• H1N1 could mean forced overtime for Quebec health workers - CBC News, Canada. (10/19)
  To cope with swine flu, Quebec government may consider a “sanitary emergency plan” which would impose certain working conditions on health-care staff.
  
  

EUROPE

• Iraqi doctors seize first training opportunity in 20 years in unique UK programme - British Medical Journal, UK. (10/21)
  In efforts to re-build the country’s health system, NHS has organized training for Iraqi doctors in UK.
  

• Health workers first for flu jab - BBC News, UK. (10/21)
  Although it is not compulsory, Northern Ireland government is encouraging health and social workers to be vaccinated for safety reasons.
  

• Operational research in low-income countries: what, why, and how? - Lancet Infectious Diseases, UK. (November)
  Operational research is increasingly being discussed at institutional meetings, donor forums, and scientific conferences.
  

• World Medical Association calls on Iran to respect medical ethics code - British Medical Journal, UK. (10/20)
  World Medical Association requested members to speak out in support of the rights of patients and doctors in Iran.
  

• Lyon sud : des opérations reportées faute d'infirmières - Le Progrès, France. (10/16)
  Depuis plusieurs semaines, les services de chirurgie de l'hôpital Lyon sud ne peuvent répondre aux demandes des patients faute de personnel infirmier suffisant.
  

• Admin.ch : Conférence nationale sur les places d'apprentissage 2009 - Invitation à la conférence de presse - Romandie News, CH. (10/16)
  le besoin en personnel de santé va augmenter de façon significative au cours des années à venir.
  

• Overcrowded hospital wards: Government blames industrial action - The Malta Independent. (10/19)
  It is believed that UHM takes advantage of nurses at a time of staff shortages
  

• Occupational health and safety : Maltese nurses lack information and safe modes of practice – MUMN - The Malta Independent. (10/19)
  Health professionals do not receive in the country training or enough information on health policy and practices.
  

• Telemedicina contra las listas de espera - El País, Spain. (10/19)
  La 'e-salud' se perfila como una herramienta clave para resolver los problemas de la sanidad
  
  

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

• Médicos venezolanos a la calle - El Universal, Venezuela. (10/16)
  La inmigración de tantos médicos cubanos en el país, esta perjudicando la situación de médicos nacionales.
  

• Desafía la epidemia al sistema de Salud - Tabasco Hoy, Mexico. (10/18)
  El aumento substancial de casos de gripe A H1N1, ponen presión sobre el sistema de Salud, especialmente cuando se presentan tantas limitaciones en la infraestructura sanitaria.
  

• Hospital de Guanare no satisface demanda quirúrgica de pacientes - Entorno Inteligente, Venezuela. (10/17)
  La falta de personal sanitario intensifica las listas de espera.
  

• Mozarildo apresenta sugestões para suprir a carência de médicos nas regiões pobres do país - Direito2.com, Brazil. (10/17)
  Mais de 400 municípios brasileiros não contam com médico algum.
  

• Moradores de Deodoro torcem para que Jogos tragam progresso - JB Online, Brazil. (10/17)
  Acho que nossa maior carência aqui é na área de saúde. Não temos um posto médico em Deodoro.
  

• Médicos pedem demissão - O Dia, Brazil. (10/17)
  Cerca de um terço dos 300 profissionais de saúde contratados em caráter de urgência para hospitais municipais em março já saíram por falta de condições de trabalho.
  
  

News from WHO and partners

• Childhood vaccines at all-time high, but access not yet equitable - WHO. (1’/21)
  $US 1 billion minimum required annually to reach children still at risk.
  

• European Development Days: GAVI and Global Fund organise debate on health Millennium Development Goals - GAVI Alliance. (10(15)
  Debate on “Can the Health MDGs still be met in times of crisis?” will focus on challenges of funding for global health.
  

• Asia Pacific Meeting Reaffirms Commitment to Reproductive and Sexual Health - UNFPA. (10/20)
  The effort to ensure that all Asians can access reproductive health services is falling short.
  

• Contracting private sector providers for public sector health services in Jalisco, Mexico: perspectives of system actors - Human Resources for Health Journal. (10/22)
  Contracting out health services is a strategy that many health systems in the developing world are following.
  

• Philippines typhoons: Deadly disease threat as emergency worsens - Merlin, UK. (10/19)
  Merlin has already begun work with partners on the ground and will now target resources at re-establishing essential health care activities..