Latest Resources

Human Resources for Health in Tanzania: Challenges, Policy Options and Knowledge Gaps

NORAD commissioned this study in order to learn how the human resource challenge currently is being addressed in Tanzania. A second aim of the study was to identify knowledge gaps for the development of evidence-based human resource strategies in Tanzania. [from introduction]

Role of the Africa Midwives Research Network in Strengthening the Contribution of Nurses and Midwives in Response to HIV/AIDS Epidemic in ECSA Region

This presentation discusses the AMRN role of strengthening nurses and midwives in their responses to HIV/AIDS by improving their knowledge and skills in evidence based practice, research, counseling, advocacy and education. Included is information about the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS problem and some strategies that AMRN has used to address the problem through nurses and midwives.

Rwanda Human Resources Assessment for HIV/AIDS Scale-up. Phase 3 Report: Staffing Implications and Scenarios for HIV/AIDS Services Scale-up

This report presents findings from Phase 3 of an assessment of the human resources implications of HIV/AIDS services scale-up in Rwanda. It focuses on the staffing implications and associated costs of HIV/AIDS services scale-up. By documenting current staffing levels and the level of effort necessary to provide HIV/AIDS services, Phase 3 of the study analyzes how many full-time equivalent (FTE) staff will be needed, and at what costs, if the Government of Rwanda is to meet its HIV/AIDS service delivery objectives. The human resources projections are based on data gathered during Phases 1 and 2 of the study.

Integrating Family Planning and HIV/AIDS Services: a Digest of Key Resources

This first issue of Focus on… presents information about the benefits and challenges of linking HIV/AIDS services and family planning and related reproductive health care. To highlight the major issues of integration (also called linkages), Focus on… summarizes key points from selected resources—most from the past 3 years—that reflect field successes, lessons learned, and further avenues for research.

Stepping Up Health Worker Capacity to Scale Up Services in Kenya

This Kenya assessment is part of a multicountry initiative to provide data and options to policymakers and donors amidst for building the capacity of health care systems in low resource countries through recruitment, training, and deployment of public and private health workers. The assessments look at how human resource (HR) policy and workload planning can address personnel shortages, specifically, gross imbalances across urban and rural areas and among personnel categories, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and lab technicians. [adapted from author]

Quick Investigation of Quality (QIQ): a User's Guide for Monitoring Quality of Care in Family Planning

This user’s guide contains materials needed to design and implement the Quick Investigation of Quality (QIQ) in a given country. QIQ refers to the set of three related data collection instruments designed to monitor 25 indicators of quality of care in clinic-based family planning programs. This volume includes an overview of the QIQ (including objectives, short list of indicators, and methodological and ethical issues), guidelines for sampling and training of field personnel, instruments and guidelines for data collection and summary results from short list of indicators (tabular and graphic forms).

Performance Improvement

Performance lmprovement (PI), a process pioneered in industry, is now helping to strengthen reproductive health organizations. PI focuses on meeting the needs of service providers and other staff members. When programs enable and inspire staff to do their best, the quality of care improves. [author’s description]


This Population Report covers how to: define desire performance, describe actual performance, measurs/describe performance gaps, find the root causes, select and implement interventions, monitor and evaluate performance and manage change.

Regional Strategy on Human Resources for Health 2006-2015

The purpose of the Regional Strategy is to provide Member States with a range of policy options and strategic actions from which to choose. The strategy’s framework for action is comprised of five interrelated strategic objectives organized around three key result areas, with suggested national actions to achieve them and WHO enabling responses. The key result areas are:a health workforce that is responsive to population health needs, or demand; effective and efficient workforce development, deployment and retention, or supply; and workforce governance and management.

Leading the Information Revolution in Kwale District

The Health Management Information System (HMIS) in Kwale District, Coast Province is Kenya’s first computerised district-level HMIS. A joint effort of the Ministry of Health and the Community Health Department of the Aga Khan Health Service, Kenya, the system uses simple, user-friendly software developed by Data Dynamics Limited to collect and analyse data from local health facilities.

Reducing AIDS-Related Stigma and Discrimination in Indian Hospitals

AIDS-related stigma and discrimination is a pervasive problem worldwide. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in India, as elsewhere, face stigma and discrimination in a variety of contexts, including the household, community, workplace, and health care setting. Research in India has shown that stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people and those perceived to be infected are common in hospitals and act as barriers to seeking and receiving critical treatment and care services (UNAIDS 2001). Recognizing the need to move beyond documentation of the problem, three New Delhi hospitals; SHARAN, an Indian NGO; and the Horizons Program, with support from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), carried out an operations research project to develop and test responses to hospital-based stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.

Community-Based Care

This issue of the HST Update covers topics such as: care from within the community; the Khayelihle example; and the role of organizations outside the government in community-based care.

Advancing Reproductive Health and Family Planning through Religious Leaders and Faith-Based Organizations

Pathfinder has provided community-based family planning and reproductive health services to women and men throughout the developing world for over 50 years. Partnerships with local governments and Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) allow Pathfinder access into communities to provide information and services. These local organizations provide a solid, established network through which Pathfinder reaches people. Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) are a vital extension of this network. [author’s description]

Public Sector Family Planning: How Can We Pay For It?

Government and donor funds fail to meet growing demands for reproductive health care in the public sector. Strategies to support uch services include: convince governments to invest more in family planning; use market segmentation to direct subsidies to the poor and to direct clients who can afford to pay to the private sector; encourage public-private partnerships to increase use of the private sector; increase the efficiency of service provision in the public sector; plan for the phase-out of donor-provided contraceptives. [author’s description]

Enhancing the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA) in NGOs/CBOs in India

The handbook is a resource collection of information sheets and participatory activities for NGOs working on HIV/AIDS who want to work towards a greater involvement of people living with HIV (GIPA) in their work. It aims at sensitising NGOs, building individual skills and organisational capacities so that NGO management, staff and volunteers can discuss and plan together in a participatory way how to meaningfully involve people living with HIV in their organisation. [from introduction]

Changing Role of the Clinic Nurse

This issue of the HST Update contains articles on: overview of nursing in South Africa, transforming nursing education towards primary health care, problems in nursing today, nursing summit charters a way forward, placement of nurses, nurse training in Mount Frere health district, and the quest for rational drug use.

Integrating Pediatric Palliative Care into Home-Based Care: an Evaluation of 3 Home-Based Care Projects

In order to identify potentially effective models of home-based care (HBC) within which paediatric palliative care could be integrated, and to identify critical aspects requiring strengthening, the NMCF commissioned an in-depth evaluation of three NGOs that have been supported through the Goelama Program. The objectives of the evaluation were: to evaluate the current capacity of the three HBC projects to provide paediatric palliative care as a component of overall HBC - this focused on the overall management of the projects, as well as the competencies of carers to provide both general HBC and palliative care to children; To explore the possibilities for strengthening the provision of paediatric palliative care as an integrated component of HBC; and to explore the role of home-based carers and HBC projects in the provision of ART to children. [author’s description]

Mapping of HIV and AIDS Services and Resources in South Africa

The primary objective of the study was to identify organisations/institutions that provide HIV and AIDS services at the sub-district level, the range of services they provide and their funding sources. This in turn will inform sub-district and district management teams of the progress and impact of services provided and furnish them with tools to monitor the performance and activities on NGOs in their sub-districts and districts. It is hoped that the report will serve as a baseline for ongoing monitoring of the country’s response to the epidemic. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires, staff interviews and record reviews.

Malawi's Innovative Scheme for Improving Attraction and Retention of Workers

This presentation was part of the Planning, Developing and Supporting the Health Workforce: Human Resources for Health Action Workshop. It briefly discusses the background and some issues for consideration about Malawi’s plan to retain and recruit health workers.


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

Southern Africa Capacity Initiative (SACI) Framework

This presentation was part of the Planning, Developing and Supporting the Health Workforce: Human Resources for Health Action Workshop. It gives an overview of the Southern Africa Capacity Initiative (SACI) Framework, provides examples of SACI applications and discusses the Africa HRH agenda.


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

What Can We Learn from Country Studies?

This presentation was part of the Planning, Developing and Supporting the Health Workforce: Human Resources for Health Action Workshop. It discusses the review of 11 country HR assessments including: Malawi, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, The Gambia, Ghana and Tanzania. It identifies the challenges faced, the implementation, technical inputs, and the process expertise.

Perspectives about and Models for Supervision in the Health Professions

This presentation is from a Capacity Project sponsored interactive workshop to consider fresh perspectives on supportive supervision, exploring alternative approaches to the standard visiting-supervisor model from within and outside the international health care sector.

Supervision Training: Some Lessons from Kenya

This presentation is from a Capacity Project sponsored interactive workshop to consider fresh perspectives on supportive supervision, exploring alternative approaches to the standard visiting-supervisor model from within and outside the international health care sector.

Leadership for Performance Improvement: a New Approach for Supervision

This presentation is from a Capacity Project sponsored interactive workshop to consider fresh perspectives on supportive supervision, exploring alternative approaches to the standard visiting-supervisor model from within and outside the international health care sector. The presentation discusses a leadership approach to supervision.

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

Visiting Supervisor Model: What is the Evidence?

This presentation is from a Capacity Project sponsored interactive workshop to consider fresh perspectives on supportive supervision, exploring alternative approaches to the standard visiting-supervisor model from within and outside the international health care sector.

Health Worker Education and Training: Selected Resources

Stronger pre-service education and in-service training systems for health workers are essential to meet the increasing need for quality services. To support efforts to improve health worker education and training systems, the Capacity Project has assembled a collection of resources that can be used for reference and adaptation. While the Capacity Project does not endorse any particular document or approach represented in these resources, they were selected by Project staff with expertise in the content areas. [author’s description]