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These case studies from accross Austraila show how rural and remote health professionals are making a difference locally and give insights, approaches and solutions to similar challenges or problems faced elsewhere. Evaluated solutions for many pressing health issues are presented as well as two big policy issues: building sustainable rural primary health care services, and responding to an ageing health workforce. [adapted from foreword]

This text describes how rural health professionals and rural communities are currently working towards healthy communities. Significant rural issues are analysed with regard to professional practice and personal lifestyles, as well as how these issues could be addressed by innovative future practice or how they present challenges for learning or teaching. [adapted from author]

The Policy Implementation Assessment Tool, user-friendly approach and tool for assessing policy implementation, comprises two interview guides that explore the perspectives of policymakers and program implementers, including community-level health workers, local leaders, and clients. This document provides guidance to help readers adapt the tool to different policies and contexts in their own countries. [adapted from introduction]

The aim of this paper is to demystify policy implementation and provide user-friendly advice on translating policies into action. To do so, the paper presents experiences and lessons learned from the Health Policy Initiative organized around the project’s Policy-to-Action Framework. [from summary]

This paper presents case studies of networks in 11 countries assisted by the POLICY Project to demonstrate how reproductive health advocacy networks were influential actors that played a role in fostering significant policy changes over the past decade. [from summary]

This video tells the story of a Sri Lankan paediatric doctor who is participating in a government scheme that places doctors in oversees placements for training with a bond that requires the doctor to return home and work at least four years for every year spent abroad in the placement. [adapted from publisher]

This paper aims to examine equity of utilisation of general practitioner services in Australia, particularly those living in remote or rural areas. [from abstract]

This issue brief details the importance of investing in frontline health workers and officially launches the Frontline Health Workers Coalition. [from publisher]

This report presents an overview of outreach services provided by health workers to remote and rural populations in different countries and contexts. It highlights the potential for alternative health service delivery models, such as mobile clinics and telemedicine, to enhance the attraction and retention of health workers in underserved areas. [from preface]

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multi-strategic practice change intervention in increasing clinician’s routine provision of preventive care across a network of community health services. [from abstract]

This study explored which characteristics of health worker quality improvement collaboratives were related to changes in healthcare for patients with anxiety disorders, dual diagnosis, or schizophrenia. [adapted from abstract]

This study explored primary health care staff’s perception, challenges and needs pertaining to the identification of children with tuberculosis in Muheza district in Tanzania. [from abstract]

This paper uses a decision mathematical model to estimate the relative effectiveness of two alternative strategies, mobile clinics and fixed community-based health services, for antibiotic treatment of childhood pneumonia, the world’s leading cause of child mortality. [from abstract]

This article reviews the progress countries have made in addressing their health workforce crisis. It also features the experiences of Malawi, Peru, Ethiopia, Brazil, Thailand, Philippines, Zambia and Mali. [from abstract]

This paper is a synthesis of research on recruitment and retention challenges for home support workers in Canada. [from author]

The nature of armed conflict is changing, putting health workers increasingly in harm’s way. This article outlines the issue and a new campaign that aims to raise awareness and improve conditions on the ground for health workers and facilities in conflict zones. [adapated from author]

This article argues that without a comprehensive model for professional nursing practice, nurses cannot reach their potential in transforming health services delivery where it is most needed. [adapted from author]

Cambodia recently scaled up their Village Malaria Worker (VMW) project by substantially increasing the number of VMWs and expanding the project’s health services to include treatment of fever, diarrhoea, and acute respiratory infections in children under five. This study examined if the scale-up interfered with VMWs’ service quality, actions, and knowledge of malaria control, and analysed VMWs’ overall achievements and perceptions of the newly added health services. [from abstract]

This article explored the lessons learned by health workers involved in the provision of prevention of mother-to-child transmission services in eastern Uganda to better understand what more needs to be done to strengthen the program. [adapted from abstract]

This brief advocates for measures and funding needed from G8 to ensure that the Millenium Development Goals are achieved and that countries can provide comprehensive primary health care for all. [adapted from author]

This paper presents the results of a recent research priority-setting exercise that identified regional policy concerns and research priorities related to health financing, human resources and the non-state sector, based on stakeholders in nine low and middle income countries in the region. The countries included were Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. [adapated from abstract]

This report presents the outcomes and resources from a meeting of health workforce crisis countries including information on the crisis in the differenct countries; interventions, challenges and shortages; and progress on the development of strategic HRH plans for each of the crisis countries. [adapted from author]

This background paper for “The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011” provides detailed information on the midwife cadre in Bangladesh, its role in the health system, training and the state of the field.

The impact of HIV-specific funds and programmes on non-HIV-related health services and health systems in genera has been debated extensively. Drawing on evidence from Malawi and Ethiopia, this article analyses the effects of ART scale-up interventions on human resources policies, service delivery and general health outcomes, and explores how synergies can be maximized. [from abstract]

​This interactive map highlights the disproportionate distribution of child mortality throughout the world. It allows users to explore the map to see a real life situation in each country to see some of the difficult decisions health workers have to make in its “5 impossible decisions” feature. [adapted from publisher]