Latest Resources

This paper attempts to explore the migration of nurses from India in the context of nursing shortages in the country. It looks at the relationship between the development of the nursing profession in India, shortage of nurses in the country and international migration of Indian nurses. [from introduction]

This work was undertaken to inform the debate on the relationship between working conditions and the provision of health care. We found that the work environment impacts on health care workers as they try to provide a more equitable form of health care. [from abstract]

This review explores the implications of expansion of the private for profit
health sector for equitable health systems in East and Southern Africa, explores whether there are signs of increasing for-profit private sector activity in the region, and identifies issues of concern on private for profit activity in the health sector. [adapted from summary]

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with CapacityPlus, conducted a discrete choice experiment survey among current students in health training programs as well as health workers practicing in rural districts to investigate preferences for potential attraction and retention strategies. The results constitute an important input to the policy-making process related to the identification, costing, and selection of possible retention interventions for implementation. [from publisher]

These guidelines provide a practical, clear, and user-friendly set of actions that human resources for health leaders at the country level can take to successfully launch and sustain stakeholder leadership groups. [from publisher]

What will motivate health workers to stay in rural areas? This brief presents an overview of the issue of retention along with suggested actions, key considerations, and resources. [from publisher]

How can countries gather and use health workforce data to increase access to care? This brief presents an overview of the issue of health worker information systems along with suggested actions, key considerations, and resources. [from publisher]

Kabelo Bitsang, iHRIS administrator at the Botswana Ministry of Health, explains how the Ministry is using CapacityPlus’s free, open source software to track and manage the country’s health workforce. [from publisher]

Human resources management (HRM) focuses on people - how they fit within a health system; how they are hired, trained, paid, and supported; and how they can be most productive. This CapacityPlus Issue Brief focuses on how can we strengthen the systems health workers need to function effectively. [adapted from author]

This paper states that it is critical for HRH leaders to take action to ensure that already available workforce strengthening tools are disseminated, adapted and used to foster effective implementation at the country level. The paper highlights four such tools as examples that can be used to build implementation capacity, and acknowledges more like them. [adapted from abstract]

This issue of Contact is dedicated to HRH in faith-based organizations and includes articles such as: Formulating Policy for Human Resources in Health; Human Resources Crisis in Christian Health Associations; Health Worker Migration and Retention in Africa; New Economic Models for Faith-based Health Care; The Challenge of Retaining Health Workers in Lesotho; adn Building Capacity through Health Worker Training. [adapted from author]

This article discusses the Health Extension Program, an innovative community-based health program in Ethiopia. It is based on the assumption that access to and quality of primary health care in rural communities can be improved through transfer of health knowledge and skills to households.

The objective of this review was to assess the effects of lay health worker interventions on childhood immunisation uptake. [from summary]

In South Africa, limited human resources are a major constraint to achieving universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage. Decentralization or “down-referral” (wherein ART patients deemed stable on therapy are referred to their closest Primary Health Clinics (PHCs) for treatment follow-up) is being used as a possible alternative of ART delivery care. This cross-sectional qualitative study investigates attitudes towards down-referral of ART delivery care among patients currently receiving care in a centralized tertiary HIV clinic. [from abstract]

A task analysis survey of health workers in Liberia was conducted to determine how often recently graduated health workers perform tasks from the basic package of health services, and whether training was received for these tasks either in school or on the job. This paper focuses on nurse and midwife cadres and describe the: implementation of the study in Liberia; key findings and analysis of select clinical tasks; and recommendations for improving and integrating educational programs. [adapted from abstract]

This review describes the state of health leadership and management capacity in Papua New Guinea. [from summary]

This article reports on the successful development of a postgraduate medical training system through a series of international partnerships in Loas over the past decade.

Recruiting, retaining and meeting increasing demand for experienced, qualified nurses is an issue of concern for all health care systems. This paper considers the factors that sustain or curtail workforce innovations through the case example of a cohort of nurse consultants established in one community health service in England.

This analysis seeks to quantify differences in the quality of family planning (FP) services at public and private providers in three representative sub-Saharan African countries (Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana), to assess how these quality differentials impact upon FP clients’ satisfaction, and to suggest how quality improvements can improve contraceptive continuation rates.

This report describes the development of a guideline and training program (PALM PLUS) designed to integrate HIV/AIDS care with other primary care in Malawi. [from abstract]

This study details the perceived benefits, problems, and risks of abuse of per diems and allowances in developing countries. Drawing on 41 interviews with government and nongovernmental officials in Malawi and Uganda the report highlights how practices to maximize per diems have become a defining characteristic of many public institutions and influence how employees carry out their work. As per diems have become de facto top ups of salaries, more fundamental reform of health worker incentives and payment is also needed. [from abstract]

The main purpose of this study was to discuss the nationality differences of foreign nurse aides and the effect of work stressors influencing work adjustment. [from abstract]

Many countries, including Vietnam, are debating the right mix of interventions to motivate doctors in particular to work in remote areas. The objective of this study was to understand the dynamics of the health labour market in Vietnam, and what might encourage doctors to accept posts and remain in-post in rural areas. [from abstract]

This article outlines the project to develop and evaluate a continuing medical education (CME) course aimed at improving healthcare provider knowledge about breast cancer health disparities and the importance of cross-cultural communication in provider-patient interactions about breast cancer screening. [from abstract]

This study looks at how violence affects the delivery of health care including attacks on patients, health-care workers and facilities, and on medical vehicles. It first looks at the general disruption to health care that occurs during conflict and civil strife, before looking more closely at specific types of violence. [adapted from author]