Latest Resources

This supplement to “Sexual and Reproductive Health: Core Competencies in Primary Care” presents the development, pilot study and sample of results from a survey to identify what sexual and reproductive health provision is offered in primary health care and which health workers are providing this in developing and a few developed countries. [adapted from introduction]

The core sexual and reproductive health (SRH) competencies that are desirable for use in primary health care (PHC) are collected together in this document. They reflect the attitudes, tasks, knowledge and skills that health personnel in PHC may need, to protect, promote and provide SRH in the community. [from publisher]

This study used both qualitative and quantitative measures to evaluate the role of the communtiy health workers in enhancing the interface between primary health care oriented health services and households in responses to HIV
and AIDS. [from author]

The Peruvian Ministry of Health approved the Policy Guidelines on Human Resources in Health to address important aspects such as training tailored to the needs of the country, development of competencies, decentralized management of human resources, motivation, and commitment. This summary outlines the process of implementing this political and strategic framework for carrying out programs to develop human potential with a competency-based approach. [adapted from author]

It is necessary to establish cooperation mechanisms between universities and health services in order to be able to adapt education of the health professionals to a universal and equitable model of service delivery and quality care. This report outlines the design of a competencies-based curriculum plan and syllabus for five universities in Peru. [adapted from author]

Disaster medicine training is not included in medical education curriculum in China, even though the country has suffered various disasters annually. This article intended to assess the need for continual education regarding disaster management for health professionals in China.

Through public-private partnerships, the government of Rwanda can make more efficient use of public resources by targeting and meeting the needs of specific populations and thus help ensure family planning services and products will be available to all Rwandans in the long term. This report aims to inform stakeholders working to strengthen family planning through multisectoral partnerships about Rwanda’s family market.

This curriculum was developed for people living with HIV in the Middle East and North Africa region who wanted to create workshops that provide space for their supportive physicians to discuss stigma in the healthcare setting and unite in their responses to HIV. [from author]

The focus of this brief is on examining how the lack of availability of trained personnel can constrain the ability of the government of Uganda to meet its strategic goals in scaling up antiretroviral treatment (ART). It utilizes a capacity module tool that estimates human resource requirements for HIV interventions. [from author]

As demand for family planning services in Peru increases, there needs to be a shift in how the public and private sectors respond. Promoting partnerships between the public and private sectors is a strategy for ensuring that unmet needs for services and contraceptives is satisfied, particularly among vulnerable populations in rural and remote regions. [from summary]

Although progress has been made in developing programs to reduce stigma and discrimination, lack of standardized indicators for measuring their effectiveness has inhibited application and scale-up of proven strategies. This working report presents the findings from an internet-based survey designed to validate the items in an health facility and provider stigma measurement tool. The goal was to assess the validity of items designed to measure the key drivers of stigma. [from introduction]

This paper explors the intersections between the universal health coverage paradigm and the current health workforce challenges and opportunities through an analysis of all the interconnected aspects of the planning, production and management of human resources for health, across the working lifespan of health workers. [adapted from summary]

Using an integrated model for the study of healthcare professionals’ behaviour, this study’s objective was to develop a reliable global instrument to assess the impact of accredited continuing professional development activities on clinical practice. [from abstract]

This study aimed to identify the human resources for health (HRH) policy concerns and research priorities of key stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries; to assess the extent to which existing HRH research addresses these concerns and priorities; and to develop a prioritized list of core research questions requiring immediate attention to facilitate policy development and implementation. [from abstract]

This study documented women’s experiences of accessing ART and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) program. In-depth interviews identified considerable weaknesses within operational HIV service delivery including: shortage in staff and supplies, lack of healthworker knowledge, stigma, and inadequacy of data and information systems for monitoring and evaluation. The analysis suggests that there is great scope for health system change, much of which centers on health personnel capacity and performance. [adapted from author]

The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of training health workers in nutrition counselling in enhancing their communication skills and performance, improving feeding practices, and reducing growth faltering in children aged 6-24 months. [from abstract]

This presentation from the 2006 International AIDS Conference outlines discriminatory practices to people living with HIV/AIDS in health care settings, contributing factors, impact on access to care, and changing health care workers’ attitudes. [adapted from author]

This paper presents an analysis of the underlying mechanisms of health professional migration and possible strategies to reduce its negative impact on health services. [from summary]

This paper reports results from surveys in which enumerators made unannounced visits to primary schools and health clinics in Bangladesh, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Peru, and Uganda and recorded whether they found teachers and health workers in the facilities. Averaging across the countries, about 35 percent of health workers were absent. [from author]

While per diems appear to have been originally used to compensate for the loss of time and income caused by such participation, today they have become political instruments that taint research and intervention activities. The author believes per diems are contributing to expected failure of Africa to meet the Milliennium Development Goals by 2015 because they reduce the potential effectiveness of interventions and dilute health sector resources. [from author]

This paper describes the history of development of a WHO code of practice as well as the legal nature and significance of this proposed international instrument. The paper then highlights some key substantive issues to consider when elaborating the text of a WHO code of practice, and presents the process for moving forward the development of a WHO code of practice. [adapted from introduction]

This code provides guidelines for an ethical approach to the international recruitment of health workers in a manner that takes into account the potential impact of such recruitment on health services in the source country and it seeks to safeguard the rights of recruits, and the conditions relating to their profession in the recruiting countries. [from author]

This paper provides information about the efforts and commitments by WHO member states and the various opportunities created by regional and global partners, including the progress made. It also explores issues and challenges
related to the underlying factors of the HRH crisis. [from author]

This article defines the present HRH situation, factors causing the present problems, available strategies to address human resource difficulties, staff retention and support, and which strategies offer the most promise. [adapted from author]

With increased globalization and interdependence among countries, sustained health worker migration and the complex threats of rapidly spreading infectious diseases a strong health workforce is essential. This article outlines the issues surrounding and the approaches to address the HRH crisis. [adapted from abstract]