Human resources for health: a global crisis - online resources
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The shortage of health workers with the right expertise and ex-
perience has reached crisis levels in many developing countries.
The ability of health services to deliver care depends on the
knowledge, skills and motivation of health workers. Without
enough skilled staff in the right place at the right time health
systems cannot function effectively and populations are left
without the treatment and support they need.
Recent international activities, such as the Joint-Learning Ini-
tiative (JLI) undertaken by the Global Health Trust and the High
Level forum on the Health MDGs, have helped to draw attention to
the crisis in human resources for health (HRH). Critical HRH
challenges include:
* Migration of health workers: ways developing countries can re-
tain them and ethical recruitment policies for developed coun-
tries
* The impact and implications of HIV and AIDS
* Building donor support for HRH
* Underinvestment in health services
* Finding shorter-term staffing solutions, such as using substi-
tute health workers, health extension workers, or volunteers
* Scaling up services and the recognition of the broader work-
force, including non professionals
* Management and planning of health services - including decen-
tralisation and the formation of National Plans for health
The World Health Report for 2006 - Working together for health -
will be launched on 7th April, World Health Day. This report fo-
cuses on challenges to and strategies for achieving a competent,
motivated and productive health workforce that can address
global health needs. The launch of the report begins a 10 year
plan of action, involving local, national and international
level stakeholders.
The IDS Health and Development Information Team has produced a
range of resources which explore critical issues in human re-
sources for health.
Human resources for health dossier
This dossier is an information resource on the importance of hu-
man resources in improving health service delivery for poor peo-
ple, developed in collaboration with the DFID Health Resource
Centre. The dossier offers practical, up to date information
with recommended readings, summarised documents and link to
other resources.
Go to: http://www.eldis.org/heatlhsystems/dossiers/hr
id21 insights health #7: Responding to the health workforce cri-
sis
This edition of insights health, guest edited by James Buchan,
examines international health worker recruitment, substitute
health workers in Africa, the use of volunteers and committing
donors to building health workforces.
Go to: http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h07
Ingrid Young
IDS Health and Development Information
Institute of Development Studies
at the University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE
Tel: +44-1273-606-261
Fax: +44-1273-621-202
mailto:i.young@ids.ac.uk
http://www.eldis.org/hivaids/
http://www.eldis.org/healthsystems/
http://www.eldis.org/health/