Subnavigation

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

Alliance News Digest

Week of 9 July 2010

NEWS FROM WHO AND PARTNERS

• UNAIDS welcomes creation of new UN body for women - UNAIDS. (7/5)
  Gender inequities, violence, lack of access to education, health and economic opportunities are making women vulnerable to HIV.
• UNAIDS and French Parliamentary Assembly join forces to strengthen HIV response – UNAIDS. (7/7)
  UNAIDS and the AFP will tackle such issues as the lack of health care workers in developing countries
• European agreement on prevention of medical sharps injuries – Public Services International. (7/7)
  Framework Agreement aims to achieve the safest possible working environment for employees in the sector by preventing workers' injuries caused by all medical sharps
• G8 Muskoka initiative represents progress but we need more – GAVI Alliance. (6/29)
  $5bn aimed at reducing number of maternal, newborn and under five deaths in developing countries
• Network-based social capital and capacity-building programs: an example from Ethiopia – HRH Journal. (7/1)
  Capacity-building programs are vital for healthcare workforce development in low- and middle-income countries
• Burnout and training satisfaction of medical residents in Greece: will the European Work Time Directive make a difference? – HRH Journal. (7/1)
  The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of burnout in Greek medical residents

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

• One Nurse, One Dispensary and 9,000 Patients – Daily Nation, Kenya. (7/2)
  Lack of medical staff contributes greatly to inability to adequately respond to disease outbreaks and other emergencies
• Doctors’ strike: Patients evacuated in Edo govt hospitals – Vanguard, Nigeria. (7/5)
  Strike over alleged failure by the state government to implement the new salary scale for health workers in the state.
• Makerere takes child mortality fight to the east – Daily Monitor, Uganda. (7/5)
  Makerere University School of Public Health conducted a random study in the Iganga/Mayuge health demographic surveillance site.
• Health workers contribute to rising maternal mortality - Dr Abebrese – GhanaWeb. (7/1)
  Lack of infrastructure and medical personnel should not be tolerated as an excuse at the expense of pregnant women
• Time for Africa to have a parallel summit to the G8 – New Vision, Uganda. (6/29)
  The G8 leaders commit to reducing infant mortality, maternal health and ensuring food security.
• Accord pour favoriser l'accès aux soins - Le Matin, Morocco. (7/8)
  Nous chercherons, au sein de l'APF, à freiner cet exode inquiétant des médecins des pays du Sud vers les pays du Nord

ASIA AND PACIFIC

• Tarlac gets wireless access to public health – ABS-CBN News, Philippines. (7/5)
  Rural health clinics in 4 towns are equipped with computers and 3G wireless technology so health workers can readily access medical records
• Healthcare initiatives (Letter) – Daily Times, Pakistan. (6/24)
  After the launch of PPHI, healthcare centres in rural areas are now functional
• Japan eases exams for Filipino nurses – Manila Bulletin. (7/7)
  Japanese government is open to easing the national examinations for foreign nurses to accommodate more Filipino nurses
• Vietnam needs 20,000 health workers for HIV/AIDS fight – VNA/VOV News, Viet Nam. (7/8)
  Lack of human resources is a great challenge to the nation’s HIV/AIDS prevention and combat programme.
• Australia provides US$43.6m to PNG churches – Radio New Zealand. (7/8)
  The Australian government is giving funds to churches in Papua New Guinea to deliver critical health and education services
• Nursing union says SA risks worsening shortfall – ABC News, Australia. (7/1)
  Members of Nursing Federation of SA want a 9 per cent pay rise over three years, plus two payments of $600.
• Guidelines needed for minister performance: union – Brisbame Times. (7/3)
  The performance expected of Queensland government ministers must be laid out in written guidelines
• Govt to pay doctors to move out bush – Sydney Morning Herald. (6/30)
  City doctors will receive up to $120,000 in relocation payments, under the $134.4 million Rural Health Workforce Strategy

NORTH AMERICA

• Opinion: G8 nations need to stem the vast tide of deaths in childbirth – Mercury News, CA. (7/3)
  There is a global gap of 3.5 million health workers, including midwives, nurses and doctors
• Closing the Gaps: From Science to Action in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health in Africa– PLoS Medicine. (6/29)
  Many African countries face weakened health systems characterized by human resource shortages
• GUEST COLUMN: HEALTH REFORM NEEDS IMMIGRATION REFORM – Memphis Commercial Appeal. (7/2)
  How to handle a significant increase in patients, when we already are experiencing a drastic shortage of doctors and nurses?
• Midwife Reform Bill Passes Legislature – News Channel34, NY. ((7/1)
  Licensed professional midwives would be able to practice independently under a bill that passed the Senate
• Gender Meet Ends on High Note with New "U.N. Women – IPS Terra Viva. (7/6)
  Gender equality is crucial to all aspects of economic growth
• Can Medical Technology Solve the Health Care Problem? – New York Times. (7/2)
  What seems feasible is encouraging
• Low-tech pregnancy device might help birth attendants reduce maternal mortality – Washington Post. (7/6)
  In terms of the global health agenda, this year the big focus is on mothers and care at birth
• Human Resources for Haiti’s Health (GHC37) – Global Post. /6/25)
  Haiti was a big focus of this year’s Global Health Council conference.
• Fewer children dying thanks to health help – Calgary Herald. (7/3)
  Volunteers help reduce child deaths in Uganda
• Can the 'Zambulance' save African rural health? – CTV News, Canada. (7/5)
  Transportation isby far the biggest obstacle to administering heath care in this mountainous region in Zambia

EUROPE

• NHS offers domestic abuse training – Nursing in Practice, UK. (6/5)
  Health workers in Scotland are to be trained in how to spot victims of domestic abuse
• The Lancet—Palestinian Health Alliance in 2010 (Editorial) – The Lancet, UK. (7/3)
  Regular investigations into the health of the Palestinian people can focus an international spotlight on a critical, but hidden, dimension of the Palestinian situation.
• Who still has the worst health system of them all? – The Lancet, UK. (7/3)
  The US health-care system overall still ranks bottom out of seven countries
• MUMN not involved in discussions to address shortage of nurses - Malta Independent. (7/5)
  The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses is quite irritated that it is not being involved in discussions to address shortages of nurses
• Society concerned at JR plans for Silver Star unit – Witney Gazette, UK. (7/6)
  The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust is planning to close level six of the maternity unit because of a shortage of midwives at the hospital
• Paediatric staffing pressures from ED – Irish Medical News, UK. (7/5)
  Seven paediatric nurses are required at Drogheda
• Health workers vow to fight pension changes – Oxford Times, UK. (7/6)
  HEALTH workers in Oxfordshire are threatening to take the Government to court for “illegally breaching” their contracts.
• RCN warns ConDem cuts will cost NHS jobs and hit patient care - The Mirror, UK. (7/7)
  The Royal College of Nursing said at least 10,000 jobs were being cut or frozen.
• INTERVIEW-WHO chief wants efficiency drive in AIDS care – Reuters. (7/7)
  With funding tight, AIDS groups must adapt care systems
• Study shows higher rates of neonatal mortality with planned home births – BMJ, UK. (7/2)
  Planned home births are associated with a twofold increase in neonatal mortality rate compared with hospital deliveries in developed countries

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

• Por falta de pediatras y espacio no internan niños en el “Alonso Suazo” – La Tribuna, Honduras. (7/6)
  Han dejado de internar a los niños, ya que no tienen dónde y no tienen especializados en pediatría durante los turnos
• IML terá médico após uma década – Diário Catarinense, Brazil. (7/3)
  Uma carência de quase uma década no Instituto Médico Legal (IML) de Xanxerê deve ser resolvida em setembro.
• Médicas luchan por salvar vidas en la sala de terapia infantil – Última Hora, Paraguay. (7/5)
  Esfuerzo de médicas y enfermeras, que pese a la falta de algunos insumos y equipamientos, hacen de todo para salvar a niños
• Una problemática que no se resuelve - AIM Digital, Argentina. (7/3)
  Denuncian que la falta de enfermeros “está demostrada en toda la provincia”
• La entidad de salud ESE de Cartagena será manejada de nuevo por el Distrito – El Tiempo, Colombia. (7/5)
  La ESE de Cartagena arrastra un déficit de cerca de 17 mil millones de pesos
• Capital sofre com carência de dentistas – Diário Gaúcho, Brazil. (7/7)
  Falta de profissionais e de boas condições de trabalho nas unidades de saúde são motivo de reclamações

Information