TOKYO - The National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) was designated as a WHO collaborating centre for health development and related technical cooperation in 1985. Since 2013, NCGM's Bureau of International Health Cooperation has also been working as a WHO collaborating centre for health systems research.
Managing the migration of health workers is a global issue. The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2010 promotes voluntary principles for ethical international recruitment of health personnel. Among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), there are plans to establish mutual recognition arrangements for doctors, dentists, and nurses.
In collaboration with WHO and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), NCGM provided technical support to Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic to incorporate mutual recognition arrangements. With this support, both countries developed laws and regulations on school accreditation and professional registration, licensing and practice. These provide the foundations for a regulatory framework for health workforce in both countries.
Cambodia is in the final stage of enacting the law on health professional practice. Inter-ministerial and ministerial orders on school accreditation, professional competencies are also under discussion. In Cambodia, NCGM also contributed to the Cambodian Nursing Council's development of the code of ethics for nurses, and the preparation of the Health Workforce Development Plan 2016–2020.
Through these processes, NCGM contributed to the leadership development of officers of the ministries of health and the professional councils in both countries. NCGM also supported two studies on leadership development of nursing professionals in Cambodia.
Related links
Koto-Shimada, K., Yanagisawa, S., Boonyanurak, P., and Fujita, N. (2016) Building the capacity of nursing professionals in Cambodia: Insights from a bridging programme for faculty development. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 22: 22–30. doi: 10.1111/ijn.12436.
Sakurai-Doi, Y., Mochizuki, N., Phuong, K., Sung, C., Visoth, P., Sriv, B., Amara, S. R., Murakami, H., Komagata, T. and Fujita, N. (2014), Who provides nursing services in Cambodian hospitals? Int J Nurs Pract, 20: 39–46. doi:10.1111/ijn.12249
WHO Lao People's Democratic Republic. Ministry of Health and Development Partners meet to discuss Health Sector Reform implementation for the next five years
http://www.wpro.who.int/laos/mediacentre/releases/2016/20161021-MOH-and-development-partners-meet/en/