Subnavigation

• Global Health Workforce Alliance
• About the Alliance
• Members & partners
• Country responses
• Knowledge centre
• Media centre
• Forums

Alliance News Digest

Week of 28 May 2010

NEWS FROM WHO AND PARTNERS

• The Chilean Rural Practitioner Programme: a multidimensional strategy to attract and retain doctors in rural areas - WHO. (May 2010)
  An equitable distribution of human resources is essential to improve health outcomes
• Uganda’s Health Sector Gets US$130 Million Boost from World Bank – World Bank. (5/25)
  UHSSP will support the Government to renovate hospitals, improve management of health workers……
• Africa prepares to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015 – UNAIDS. (5/26)
  In sub-Saharan Africa an estimated 60% of people living with HIV are women, mostly in the reproductive age group
• HIFA2015 welcomes 5 new HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations – HIFA2015. (5/14)
  New applications are invited for ratification at the next HIFA2015 Steering Group meeting in London

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

• Doctors’ pain: No more greener pastures – Business Daily Africa. (5/27)
  Kenya’s long-running campaign to stop doctors and nurses from seeking greener pastures in Western countries has received WHO ministers’ backing
• South Sudan vows to train more health workers – Sudan Tribune. (5/22)
  Government of Southern Sudan committed to train more health workers in an effort to control the shortage of medical staff
• We Are Soft Targets, Says Hospital Workers – Health-e, SA. (5/21)
  Health workers work 12-hour shifts and ICU are overcrowded
• WHO to stem health worker exodus – Health24, SA. (5/25)
  36 African countries lack skilled healthcare
• Fifa requirements don’t scratch where SA itches – Business Day, SA. (5/24)
  Continued deaths of babies illustrate, not all South Africans will benefit from the World Cup-related investments in public health infrastructure
• Ethiopia ranks 20th out of 40 in mother's health – News Dire, Ethiopia. (5/8)
  Ethiopia is making significant progress in reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality by training and deploying more front-line female health workers
• Health workers to enjoy new salary structure in June – Nigerian Compass. (5/26)
  The Federal Government has said it would start payment of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure
• When Giving Life Brings Death – The Herald, Zimbabwe. (5/25)
  The maternal health indicators are accurate indicators to reflect the status of a country health system,
• Health Systems Reform Debates in the Eastern Cape – Health-e, SA. (5/24)
  The Eastern Cape has the second lowest number of doctors working in the public sector (17 per 100 000 people).
• Health ministry needs sh520b to pay medics – New Vision, Uganda. (5/26)
  Health Ministry requires sh520b annually to pay and retain 46,977 health workers

ASIA AND PACIFIC

• Women health workers bringing change – Bangladesh News 24. (5/26)
  Women workers usually provide health support in rural Bangladesh
• Application for admission to one year Multipurpose Health Workers (Male) Basic Course – India News. (5/21)
  Candidates seeking admission to the course should not be less than 16 years and more than 27 years of age
• Medical doctors shut down all health institutions in Nepal – Xinhua News, China. (5/23)
  Health workers are being terrorized and attacked
• ‘Six Foreign Ministry officials found corrupt in last five years’ – Daily Times, Pakistan. (5/20)
  Health Minister reported 110,000 lady health workers were working across the country, while another 10,000 would be recruited next year
• 8 more things health professionals can do for their country – The Philippine Star. (5/25)
  Our health workers are heroes in their own right
• Injection of training for health workforce – PS News, Australia. (5/25)
  Priority will be given to develop clinical training capacity in areas of existing professional, as well as geographic health workforce shortages
• Training of Central health workers – Solomon Star. (5/21)
  It essential that high quality, acceptable STI care is available at all levels of the health delivery system in both the public and private sectors
• NZ signs up to WHO accord on health care workers – NZCity. (5/22)
  NZ has agreed to a WHO contract which will limit the number of foreign health workers recruited from poorer countries
• Face facts - we can't handle the tooth – Sydney Morning Herald. (5/23)
  Only 10 per cent of the dental health workforce is in the public sector
• Health care 'black hole' in Midlands – ABC News, Australia. (5/24)
  People in this community have never had the access to preventative health programs

NORTH AMERICA

• Higher Education Leaders Receive TCWF Champions of Health Professions Diversity Award – PR Newswire. (5/24)
  There are shortages of workers in nearly all sectors of the health workforce in California
• Nurse practitioners to fill key role in health care reform – NewsOK. (5/23)
  In Oklahoma, nurse practitioners can treat and diagnose patients, order tests and prescribe medications without collaborating with a physician
• Volunteering to save lives in Haiti – CNN. (5/24)
  IMC has sent around 400 volunteer doctors and nurses to Haiti since the quake and is also training and employing another 200 local health workers.
• Old HMH to become mental health crisis center? – The Willits News. (5/21)
  Report recommended hiring more mental health workers to prevent burn-out among existing workers
• How Much Would You Pay for a Primary-Care Visit? – Wall Street Journal. (5/24)
  The idea sprang out of a computer listserv discussion about “how unappreciated primary care is”
• Higher Education Leaders Receive TCWF Champions Of Health Award – Black Voice News. (5/26)
  Increasing California’s health workforce and its diversity is important for improving the health of Californians
• E. Coli Bacteria Place Health Workers’ Life At Risk – AHN. (5/26)
  A study warns of the health risks faced by doctors and other medical workers exposed to the E. Coli bacteria

EUROPE

• WHO agrees code to stem health care worker exodus – Reuters. (5/21)
  Health ministers agreed to avoid recruiting doctors and nurses from poor countries
• Up to 10,000 NHS jobs under threat – The Scottish Sun, UK. (5/22)
  UP to 10,000 NHS jobs could be at risk in Scotland, Alex Salmond admitted yesterday.
• Uzbekistan restricts foreign travel for doctors – The Lancet, UK. (5/22)
  The true extent of Uzbekistan's health problems is difficult to gauge officially
• WHO agrees new code on ethical recruitment of international health personnel – BMJ, UK. (5/25)
  Severe shortages in 57 poor nations pose a major threat to the performance of already resource strapped health systems
• GMC struck off twice as many doctors in 2009 as in previous year – BMJ, UK. (5/24)
  The number of doctors who were struck off the medical register doubled between 2008 and 2009
• Nos quedamos sin médicos – Europa Press, Spain. (5/24)
  El sistema público de salud es uno de los que mejor funciona, a pesar de las carencias, como presupuestos y la falta de profesionales.

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

• “Solicitamos acción urgente” – El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico. (5/25)
  Decenas de despidos causan situación precaria en hospitales
• Registra la Ssa un déficit de 600 plazas de enfermería: Frías – Jornada de Oriente, Mexico. (5/24)
  400 en el área de urgencias y 200 en pediatría
• SAMU da Bahia vive carência de profissionais médicos – Ipiaú Online, Brazil. (5/23)
  Faltam interessados para vagas que pagam R$4200 de salário com carga horária de 24h por semana
• Denuncian enfermeras del Hospital Lázaro Cárdenas falta de personal - Mi Morelia Notícias, Mexico. (5/20)
  Incrementaron al 100% los usuarios del Seguro Popular
• Déficit de personal médico en el país supera el 40% - El Heraldo, Honduras. (5/24)
  En la actualidad, el 80 por ciento del presupuesto de Salud se invierte en sueldos y salarios

Information