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The most pressing challenge to achieving universal access to highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in sub-Saharan Africa is the shortage of trained personnel to handle the increased service requirements of rapid roll-out. Overcoming the human resource challenge requires developing innovative models of care provision that improve efficiency of service delivery and rationalize use of limited resources. We conducted a time-series intervention trial in two HIV clinics in central Mozambique to discern whether expanding the role of basic-level nurses to stage HIV-positive patients using CD4 counts and WHO-defined criteria would lead to more rapid information on patient status (including identification of HAART eligible patients), increased efficiency in the use of higher-level clinical staff, and increased capacity to start HAART-eligible patients on treatment.

The ability of health organizations in developing countries to expand access to quality services depends in large part on organizational and human capacity. Capacity building includes professional development of staff, as well as efforts to create working environments conducive to high levels of performance. The current study evaluated an approach to public-private partnership where corporate volunteers give technical assistance to improve organizational and staff performance. [from abstract]

Effective teamwork between doctors and clinical nurse practitioners (CNP) is essential to the provision of quality primary care in the South African context. The Worcester Community Health Centre (CHC) created dedicated practice teams offering continuity of care, family-orientated care, and the integration of acute and chronic patients. The teams depended on effective collaboration between the doctors and the CNPs. This inquiry focuses on the question of how more effective teams of doctors and clinical nurse practitioners offering clinical care could be created within a typical CHC. [adapted f

The crisis of human resources for health that is affecting low-income countries and especially sub-Saharan Africa has been attributed, at least in part, to increasing rates of migration of qualified health staff to high-income countries. We describe the conditions in four Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development health labour markets that have led to increasing rates of immigration. [from summary]

In this paper an analytical framework is developed based on the production of health care services and the multiple determinants of health human resource requirements. Attention is focused on estimating the flow of services required to meet the needs of the population that is then translated into the required stock of providers to deliver this flow of services. [from abstract]

This chapter aims to determine the current demand for medical practitioners and nurses in South Africa by looking at the number of positions that are filled and the number that are currently vacant. It attempts to determine the number of medical practitioners and nursing positions that will be required until 2011, establishes the expected output from higher education over the next ten years, and determines the gap between supply and demand of health professionals. [adapted from introduction]

Although effective teamwork has been consistently identified as a requirement for enhanced clinical outcomes in the provision of healthcare, there is limited knowledge of what makes health professionals effective team members, and even less information on how to develop skills for teamwork. This study identified critical teamwork competencies for health service managers. [from abstract]

This study documents the contribution made by religion and religious entities to the struggle for health and wellbeing in Zambia and Lesotho, in a context dominated by poverty, stressed public health systems and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. By mapping and understanding these Religious Health Assets (RHAs), the study calls for a greater appreciation of the potential they have for the struggle against HIV/AIDS and for universal access and offers recommendations for action by both public health and religious leaders at all levels.

Recent efforts to improve maternal health have focused on skilled attendants and emergency care at health facilities. Skilled birth attendants and access to emergency obstetric care are essential to saving mothers lives. In developing countries, 60 million women give birth at home without skilled care and with high maternal and neonatal mortality. Nearly all essential newborn care can be provided safely, effectively, and at a low cost at the household level. The same is true for care of the mother, and many effective interventions can be implemented at the household and community level that will save mothers’ lives.

The study of the health workforce has gained in prominence in recent years, as the dynamic interconnections between human resource issues and health system effectiveness have come into sharper focus. This paper reviews lessons relating to strategic management challenges emerging from the growing literature in this area. [from abstract]

The African continent is facing 25% of the world’s morbidity rate with only 3% of its healthcare personnel. This is the result of years of neglect and underinvestment by African governments and the international community, plus harsh IMF restraints on nations’ budgetary expeditures. [author’s descripton]

Many countries around the world are now facing a huge brain drain of highly skilled professionals to well-paid jobs in developed countries. One of the worst affected sectors is healthcare, an area in which developing countries are struggling to keep professionals at home and encourage others to return. [auhor’s description]

This article discusses the issue the brain drain of doctors to more developed countries and Ghana’s efforts to supply an adequate health workforce in the face of this problem.

This consultation was convened jointly by the Global Health Workforce Alliance, the World Health Organization and the Swedish International Development Agency to discuss issues relating to the current crisis in human resources for health. The objectives of the Consultation were: to provide information on the global and regional crisis in human resources for health and propose activities based on the main recommendations of the World Health Report 2006; to share experiences in human resources for health, including issues related to priority programmes such as HIV/AIDS in the countries represented; and to present the African Human Resources for Health Platform and discuss possible solutions to the alleviation of the crisis in the African region.

This paper explores the potential for private-sector midwives to provide services beyond their traditional scope of care during pregnancies and births to address shortcomings in less developed countries’ ability to reach MDGs. This paper examines factors that support or constrain private practice midwives’ ability to offer expanded services in order to inform the policy and donor communities about PPMWs’ potential. [from executive summary]

The focus of this guide is the measurement of capacity for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating capacity-building interventions. It responds to a demand among public health planners, evaluators, and practitioners for advice on assessing the many aspects of health programming that fall under the rubric of capacity building. [author’s description]

The HRH Action Framework presented here is designed to assist governments and health managers to develop and implement strategies to achieve an effective and sustainable health workforce. By using a comprehensive approach, the Framework will help you address staff shortages, uneven distribution of staff, gaps in skills and competencies, low retention and poor motivation, among other challenges. [publisher’s description] This website guides users through the HRH development process using indicators, resources, tools and guidelines.

This technical brief discusses various approaches for strengthening professional associations and outlines the benefits and challenges of such efforts. [author’s description]

This Praxis Note provides an overview of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the Malawi health care system and on the organisational capacity of Mulanje Mission Hospital. It describes the experiences and lessons learnt from a capacity building program designed to address capacity deficits and erosion caused by HIV/AIDS attrition. Less emphasis was placed on external training courses and increasing attention given to short-course inputs and distance learning. [from introduction]

This text presents the context and background, the methodology and some of the main results of the regional consultation on the critical challenges for human resources in health in the Americas. This consultation hopefully documents how the countries in the Americas are facing the main challenges to the development of the health workforce. The main results and suggestions by the actors consulted with regard to the role of international cooperation in the countries of the Region are presented, so that the countries and international agencies can better formulate common strategies of development and strengthening of the work force in health.

This presentation gives an outline of the current challenges and opportunities for HRH in the Sub-Saharan Africa AIDS crisis, some possible solutions, key messages and ways forward.

To view this presentation, you must have either Microsoft PowerPoint or download the free PowerPoint Viewer.

This presentation focuses on the work MSH has done in Nicaragua, where leadership has been used as the key to address many of the challenges faced by the health sector, using a systems approach. [author’s description]

To view this presentation, you must have either Microsoft PowerPoint or download the free PowerPoint Viewer.

Using a representative sample of 478 doctors, nurses, and lab technicians working with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the impact of the AIDS epidemic on medical care systems and service providers in China. The study findings suggest that improved institutional support for AIDS care at the facility level and HIV-related stigma reduction intervention are crucial to maintain a high quality performance by the workforce in the health care system. [from publisher’s description]

This report on the Consultation on AIDS and Human Resources for Health, WHO, Geneva, 11-12 May, 2006 outlines the Treat, Train Retain plan to address AIDS and HRH. The plan comprises three sets of elements: a package of HIV treatment, prevention, care and support services for health workers in countries affected by HIV (Treat); measures to empower health workers to deliver universal access to HIV/AIDS services (Train); and strategies to retain health workers in the public health system, including financial and other incentives and strategies to improve pay and working conditions and manage the migration of health care workers (Retain).

This article outlines the development and content of a community-based research capacity building framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers. The focus is on the major issues that enhance a proactive service delivery model using culturally appropriate research methods. The overall aim of the framework is to supplement current institutionally-based education and training resources for health workers with community-based research training modules. These modules can be tailored to provide research and evaluation skills relevant to health workers taking a more proactive role in facilitating health and wellbeing programs in their own communities.