Countdown to 2015
Health workforce crisis impacting maternal, child and newborn health
The critical shortage of health workers has been highlighted as a key obstacle for progress to provide critical health care needed to save the lives of women, infants and children and to meet internationally-agreed targets within the Millennium Development Goals.
According to the 2008 Countdown report Tracking Progress in Maternal, Newborn & Child Survival released on 16 April 2008, few of the 68 developing countries that account for 97% of maternal and child deaths worldwide are making adequate progress to provide critical health care needed to save the lives of women, infants and children. Of these 68 countries, 54 – or 80%– have workforce densities below the critical threshold for improved prospects for achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals.
The Countdown findings have been released and form discussed of a three day conference in South Africa, from 17-19 April. Leading global health experts, policy-makers and parliamentarians are convening in Cape Town for the 2008 Countdown to 2015 Conference in conjunction with the 118th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Global Health Workforce Alliance Executive Director, Dr Francis Omaswa addresses the issue of the health workforce crisis, and its impact on maternal, newborn and child health, in the plenary session entitled 'What can be done and how?" that takes place on Friday 18 April.