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Alliance News Digest

Information

WEEK OF 25 SEPTEMBER 2009

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AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

• Kitgum Hospital Faces Shortage of Workers - The Monitor, Uganda
  shortage of health workers came when workers left for better salaries in NGOs serving in South Sudan.
  

• We can keep Malaria at bay - Mmegi, Botswana
  The recently graduated students from the University of Botswana in the different categories of health care are inmediately joining the health workforce.
  

• MOZAMBIQUE: Building Awareness to Reduce Maternal Mortality - IPS-Africa
  About 59 percent of births are currently professionally attended to in the developing world.
  

• Malawi’s health system awful, needs overhaul — watchdog - The Zimbabwean
  Malawi has a shortage of over 6,000 health workers most significantly nurse midwives despite training efforts by government to train more health workers annually.
  

• More doctors needed in SA - Eyewitness News, SA
  Rural areas bear the brunt of South Africa’s medical brain drain.
  

• Govt to Recruit Medical Workers - New Vision, Uganda
  Minister of Health wishes to be able to post medical workers anywhere where needed in the country.
  

• HEALTH-AFRICA: Financial Crisis Scapegoat for ARV Stockouts? - IPS-Africa
  Health experts urged African governments to stop using the global economic crisis as a scapegoat.
  

• Appalling health facilities in Kailahun - Awoko Newspaper, Sierra Leone
  Some of the health centers in Kailahun lack trained and qualified nurses.
  
  

ASIA AND PACIFIC

• India needs a robust and vibrant public health system : Azad - Asia News International
  The Minister of Health and Family Welfare said that therewas an acute shortage of trained public health professionals in the country.
  

• Infant mortality rate rises in Malkangiri - Times of India
  Shortage of doctors in the Malkangiri district is a major concern.
  

• Doctor Doctor (Editorial) - Morung Express, India
  many doctors are reluctant to work in interior areas due to poor road communication and inadequate infrastructure
  

• Sambhav Voucher Scheme launched in Gumla - Times of India
  The scheme is to provide health care services to below poverty line families as well as to curb the population growth rate.
  

• NZAID to look into PNG health aid request - Radio New Zealand
  PNG health workers have requested NZAID assistance to help train health staff in N. Zealand.
  

• The Next Generation of Indigenous Mental Health Workers - Government of Australia
  Government’s initiatives to grow and support the Aboriginal health workforce are vital in any efforts to close the gap of Indigenous disadvantage.
  

• No health redundancy scheme in NSW: govt - WAtoday, Australia
  Reducing staff numbers will only put additional pressure on hard-working nurses and health workers and a decline in services.
  
  

NORTH AMERICA

• Health care reform could stretch primary care workforce thin - S. Florida Business Journal
  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said $33 million in stimulus funding would go to health care workforce training.
  

• A Growth Vision for Health Reform - Wall Street Journal
  Why limit an innovative industry to a certain percent of GDP?
  

• Mental health workers sue D.C. to stop privatization - Washington Business Journal
  As part of the privatization, more than 100 public-sector mental health jobs were to be eliminated by Aug. 1 of this year.
  

• Boomers’ retirement to leave Nebraska with shortage of medical providers - Omaha World-Herald
  Nebraska will be facing a shortage of health care providers within the next 10 years mainly due to the retirement of baby boomers.
  

• UVa center aims to boost health of Congo workers - Charlottesville Daily Progress, VA
  Africa’s health workers are at high risk of exposure to HIV and hepatitis B and C, and despite this risk, they are reluctant to get tested.
  

• PAs need more independence in order to fill workforce gaps (Letter) - Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants
  Writer refers to an article published in July 2009 “Physician assistants are an asset to health workforce policy reform”
  

• Brunswick college hopes for bachelor's in nursing program - Florida Times-Union
  Proponents say a four-year program will curb shortage in nurses.
  

• Clinton Global Initiative: September 22-25, 2009: Health Care Access and Quality Improves For Millions in Rwanda and Haiti Due to Innovative Performance-Based Financing Incentives - PR Newswire
  The community PBF program will impact rural populations, improve engagement in and support to the health system.
  

• State will need 1 million new allied health workers by 2030 - Sacramento Bee, CA
  The report, funded by the California Wellness Foundation, says that education system only has capacity to train around 63 percent of the workforce needed.
  
  

EUROPE

• Health systems in Africa: learning from South Africa - The Lancet, UK
  The focus of health systems in Africa has been mainly on infectious diseases.
  

• Sierra Leone’s maternal mortality rate is a "human rights emergency" - British Medical Journal, UK
  In Sierra Leone less than a fifth of deliveries take place in healthcare facilities.
  

• Male doctors, doctors over 50, and doctors qualifying overseas are more likely to raise concerns about performance - British Medical Journal, UK
  Study has demonstrated that about 60% of suspended and excluded practitioners have qualified outside the UK.
  

• Achieving the health Millennium Development Goals for South Africa: challenges and priorities - The Lancet, UK
  Substantial increases in mortality and morbidity are threatening to overwhelm the health system and undermine the potential of South Africa to attain the MDGs.
  

• Framework for NHS "quality accounts" is launched - British Medical Journal, UK
  The Health Department launched the framework and a public consultation on the proposals.
  

• Los médicos de zonas rurales podrán jubilarse a los 70 para paliar el déficit - El País, Spain
  Se estima que si no se toman las medidad adecuadas, dentro de 20 años Andalucía tendría un déficit de 6.000 médicos.
  

• Falta de médicos leva a longa espera na Urgência - Jornal de Notícias, Portugal
  A escassez de médicos para as equipas de triagem da unidade de saúde está na origem na demora.
  
  

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

• US senator puts USVI in Senate health care bill - Caribbean Net News
  Both House and Senate bills include the US Territories for increased funding in community-based health which includes expansion of health workforce training.
  

• En el Periférico de Catia pedirán ayuda a los médicos privados - El Universal, Venezuela
  Nuevo director propone la medida para paliar la falta de especialistas.
  

• Ampliación del Hospital de Clarines tiene diez años de atraso - El Universal, Venezuela
  Además hay déficit de médicos, no funciona la unidad de rayos X y hay filtraciones.
  

• Protesta en policlínica - CubaNet
  Los médicos admitieron que la policlínica no presta un buen servicio debido a la carencia de personal.
  

• Las Termas necesita un centro para tratar adictos - El Liberal, Argentina
  El vicedirector del Hospital Zonal sostuvo que sería de vital importancia contar con un centro de rehabilitación coordinado por un equipo interdisciplinario.
  

• A pesar de las epidemias, Salud tendrá menos fondos - La Nación, Argentina
  La Federación Sindical de Profesionales de la Salud realizará pasado mañana un paro para reclamar por la disminución del presupuesto.
  

• Los subcentros se llenan de pacientes por la gripe - El Comercio, Ecuador
  La falta de médicos y espacio físico es la principal limitante. La gente se queja por la falta de atención oportuna.
  

• HUB mantém suspensão de novas internações de gestantes - Correio Braziliense
  O HUB sofre com a carência de profissionais do quadro, e muitos dos pediatras que atendem no local são cedidos pela Secretaria de Saúde.
  
  

News from WHO and partners

• World Humanitarian Day - WHO
  On Humanitarian Day, WHO reaffirms its commitment to lead international and national responses to the health component of emergencies.
  

• Asian Governments Pledge to Complete Cairo Reproductive Health Agenda - UNFPA
  UN meeting seeks to accelerate progress towards development goals for 2015.
  

• Eradicating polio in Afghanistan takes persuasion, participation and peace - UNICEF
  Due to especial circumstances in the country mobile approach is essential to ensure that every child in the target group is reached.
  

• Leaders commit new finance to tackle women’s and children’s health in the developing world - International Health Partnership
  An innovative health financing taskforce set up by world leaders twelve months ago is today announcing a series of new financing measures.
  

• The International Council of Nurses applauds the success of the Resolution to establish a UN Agency for Women - International Council of Nurses
  ICN commends the contribution of civil society, including individual nurses and nurses’ organisations at country, regional and international level, during the past three years of work towards the new women’s agency
  

• World leaders to offer lifeline for women and children in poorest countries? - Merlin, UK
  How to get more money for health from new sources in this time of economic downturn?
  

• UK to give £23 million to help developing world tackle swine flu - DFID, UK
  The contribution is the equivalent to 10% of the domestic supply of vaccine.
  

• Canada Increases Support to Health Programs in Paraguay - CIDA
  The Canadian International Development Agency is supporting Paraguay to improve training of health practitioners to better respond to the needs of local communities.
  

• GAVI Alliance welcomes new funding to strengthen health systems - GAVI
  Innovative health financing taskforce set up by world leaders announces financial measures worth US$5.3 billion
  

• Minister Power highlights the impact of Ireland’s aid programme at launch of Irish Aid Annual Report - Irish Aid
  Ireland is internationally-recognised for our strong focus on poverty and hunger in Africa.