Latest Resources

World Health Statistics 2009

World Health Statistics 2009 contains WHO’s annual compilation of data from its 193 Member States, and includes a summary of progress towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals and targets. This edition also contains a new section on reported cases of selected infectious diseases. [from publisher]

Migration of Health Professionals from Ghana: Which Trainees are more Prone to Leave?

This presentation provides the results of studies designed to ascertain which Ghanaian trainee health professionals are more likely to emigrate, as well as the rationale for these choices. It also attempts to identify potential areas for policy intervention in order to moderate the benefits and costs of both the long-term and short-term impact of this situation.

Joining the Bandwagon: Emigration Expectation Among Trainee Health Personnel in Ghana

This presentation chronicles the emigration patterns of Ghanaian health professionals and the effects on that country's own health services. There is a specific focus on the emigration expectations of Ghanaian trainee health personnel, as well as offering suggestions for potential methods for addressing the situation.

Impact of Rich Countries Policies on Poverty in LDCs: the Case of Migrant Nurses from Ghana

This presentation offers the findings of a study assessing how policies in richer countries impact least-developed countries, specifically regarding skilled labour migration.

Losing out Twice? Skill Wastage of Overseas Health Professionals in the UK

This presentation details issues surrounding the recruitment and utilization of foreign health professionals in the UK.

Human Resources for Health: Ignorance-Based Policy Trends

This presentation covers trends in the out-migration of health professionals as well as the impact on HRH.

Supply Side: Training to Work at Home

This presentation describes perspectives on the out-migration of health professionals in Africa.

Producing the “World-Class” Nurse: the Philippine System of Nursing Education and Supply

This presentation offers the results of a study examining organizational and institutional perspectives on international labor migration, as well as a case study on nurse migration and recruitment from the Philippines to the U.S.

Going Global? The Regulation of Nurse Migration in the UK

This presentation addresses issues pertaining to nurse migration in the UK including trends, patterns and the impact of soft regulation.

Migrant Care Workers in the UK Labor market

This presentation explores the primary characteristics of the migrant labor force in the UK healthcare sector, including the implications for policies regulating migration and the care sector.

Safer Place Self-Audit Tool: Combating Violence Against Social Care Staff

This self-audit tool can be used at any management level and is designed to help employers make a quick judgement about whether an organization’s framework for management and practice minimizes the potential for workers to be subject to violence and abuse. The tool also enables a supportive response if incidents occur. [adapted from description]

Mentoring for Doctors: Signposts to Current Practice for Career Grade Doctors

This document provides guidance regarding the potential benefits of mentoring between physicians.

National Framework to Support Local Workforce Strategy Development: a Guide for HR Directors in the NHS and Social Care

This document suggests a framework within which governing bodies and boards — supported by HR directors and managers across health and social care — can develop local workforce strategies. [adapted from introduction]

International Migration of Health Professionals: New Evidence and Recent Trends

This presentation describes the findings of the Health Workforce and Migration project and their implications. It includes information on recent trends and policies, as well as new evidence on the stock of foreign-born health professionals and nurses in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Impacts of Expert Systems on Health Care: Economic Considerations

This presentation describes the potential effects of using telemedicine to provide relevant medical knowledge in order to assist physicians in patient care.

Assessing the National Health Information System: an Assessment Tool, Version 4.00

The Health Metrics Network (HMN) was launched in 2005 to help countries and other partners improve global health by strengthening the systems that generate health-related information for evidence-based decision-making. HMN is a global health partnership focused on the core requirements of health system strengthening in low and low-middle income countries. To help meet these requirements and advance global health, there is an urgent need to coordinate and align partners around an agreed-upon framework for developing and strengthening health information systems. [adapted from introduction]

Case for a National Health Information System Architecture; a Missing Link to Guiding National Development and Implementation

Developing countries and the global network of donors, programs and NGOs agree that health systems need to become stronger if gains in health are to be achieved and sustained. A major factor contributing to this current situation is that the excessive burden of data collection falls to health workers. A national health information system capable of supporting day-to-day management, long-term planning, and policy development for the entire national health system is required. [adapted from abstract]

Men and Care in the Context of HIV and AIDS: Structure, Political Will and Greater Male Involvement

AIDS is a long and debilitating illness that renders patients unable to fend for themselves. In wealthy countries, health systems provide much of the necessary care; in the developing world, however, the burden is taken up by family and community members, a large majority of whom are women. This paper outlines some of the causes of this imbalance and makes recommendations for governments as they attempt to address the problem. [adapted from introduction]

Caring from Within: Key Findings and Policy Recommendations on Home-Based Care in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, as in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, home-based care (HBC) plays a vital role in the response to HIV as overwhelmed public health and welfare systems fail to cope with the demands of the epidemic. This document details a project designed to contribute to better understanding and evidence-based decision-making in the implementation of HBC interventions in Zimbabwe and beyond. [adapted from executive summary]

Standards-Based Management and Recognition: a Field Guide

This field guide is intended to provide some help with the task of improving the delivery of health services using standards of care as the basis for improvement. This guide is designed to answer questions such as: What types of standards are really useful to local providers and mangers? How can they be implemented in a practical way? How can the improvement process be supported?

Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA) Promoting Synergy Between Partners: Addis Ababa, 10-11 January 2008 Meeting Notes

This report provides a short summary of the key discussion points from a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the 10th and 11th of January 2008. The meeting followed on from the launch of the WHO Guidelines on Task-Shifting and was attended by participants who are actively involved in addressing HRH. [adapted from author]

Kenya: Taking Forward Action on Human Resources for Health (HRH) with DFID/OGAC and Other Partners

In response to the critical HRH shortages in Africa, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Office of the US Global Aids Coordinator (OGAC) have been in discussion with a number of African countries to develop strategies and country level actions. The aim is to demonstrate the maximum flexibility of disease specific programmes to support broad based primary care in line with countries’ health plans. This report presents a summary of the main findings from the country visit to Kenya. [from introduction]

African Christian Health Associations: Joining Forces for Improving Human Resources for Health

This document details the efforts of the Christian Health Association to strengthen sub-Saharan Africa’s national health sectors by mitigating the the HR shortage. [adapted from executive summary]

Study on Workplace Violence within the Health Sector in Rwanda: Final Report

A study on workplace violence within the health sector in Rwanda was conducted in 2007 in order to determine the type, impact, context, consequences and prevention strategies of workplace violence in Rwanda; to assist the Ministries of Health, Public service and Labor (MIFOTRA) as well as other stakeholders in developing a political, legal and programmatic response to improve providers’ safety, satisfaction and retention. This study also explored the characteristics of gender-based violence, including gender-based discrimination and its relation to workplace violence. [adapted from foreword]

Alleviating the Burden of Responsibility: Report on a Study of Men as Providers of Community-Based HIV/AIDS Care and Support in Lesotho

This report details the work of the the Capacity Project assistance to the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to strengthen its capacity to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic by addressing gender segregation in nonformal caregiving through the active engagement of men as providers of community and home-based HIV/AIDS care and support. [adapted from foreword]