Latest Resources

Do Ugandan Medical Students Intend to Work in Rural Health Facilities after Training?

Several training institutions have engaged in programs to expose pre-service health workers to rural health work to demystify it and to enable the professionals make an informed choice on practice location after qualification. In this study, the intentions of Ugandan medical students to work in rural health facilities after qualification were sounded out, together with the factors that affect them and their perception of rural areas. [from abstract]

Poor Understanding of Health Promotion Related to Underemployment of Qualified Health Promoters in Uganda

In Uganda, the Faculty of Health Sciences of Uganda Martyrs University picked up the challenge of training health workers in the field of health promotion. Over 100 health workers have qualified in health promotion since 2004. This study followed up the graduates of the program to see what they are doing in the field, to see how their current work is related to health promotion, to see how they perceive their work and to identify the challenges they face in executing health promotion duties. [from abstract]

Compliance with Infection Prevention Guidelines by Health Care Workers at Ronald Ross General Hospital Mufulira District

This study aimed to determine the level of health-care workers’ compliance with infection prevention guidelines and identify factors that influence compliance at Ronald Ross General Hospital, Mufulira District. [from abstract]

Conceptual Review of the Demands of Chronic Care and the Preparedness of Nurses Trained with the General Nursing Council of Zambia Curriculum

The study analyzes the deficiency that seem to exist between nurse curricula
and nurse practices and explore chronic care models or approaches evident among Zambian General Nursing Council (GNC) final year nursing students and GNC trained practicing nurses. The study also assesses how they formulate these chronic care models or approaches. [from author]

Review of Outcome of Postgraduate Medical Traning in Zambia

The Master of Medicine program is the clinical specialist postgraduate training started in response to increased training costs of specialists abroad, brain drain and an increasing demand for local specialists. The program’s objective were to produce specialists locally who would be easier to retain and able to work in district hospitals. The training costs would be proportionately less. This study reviews the outcome of the postgraduate program and assess whether the original intentions have been met to date. [adapted from introduction]

Teaching and Teacher Education for Health Professionals: Perspectives on Quality and Outlook of Health Professionals Education in Zambia

This study aimed to measure students’ perspectives on the teaching quality of the school of medicine at University of Zambia and concurrently measure health professionals educators perspectives on the need for teaching courses for health professionals educators (educational skills training). The results are discussed as indications for educational skills training for educators in health professionals’ education. [from abstract]

Human Resource Crisis in the Zambian Health Sector: a Discussion Paper

The human resource crisis facing the Zambian health sector has potential to derail existing health programs including millennium development goals. This paper will highlight the underpinning factors, analyze current interventions and propose alternative solutions to this crisis. [from abstract]

Securing Human Resources for Health: a Challenge and Opportunity

This presentation defines health workers, their importance, the shortage, geographical distribution, the HRH situation, health workforce policies and planning aspects (financing, education, management systems, leadership, policy, partnership, critical success factors), and projection approaches. [adapted from author]

Reviewing Progress, Renewing Commitment: Progress Report on the Kampala Declaration and Agenda for Global Action

This report provides a snapshot of the HRH policy and governance situation in the priority countries affected by severe HRH challenges. A one-page country brief has been prepared for each of the priority countries to give an update on their HRH status and progress. The briefs contain background demographic, health, health system and HRH statistics, as well as scores for responses to a tracking survey. [from author]

Human Resources for Health and Burden of Disease: an Econometric Approach

The aim of this paper is to assess the relationship between health workers and disability-adjusted life years, which represents a much broader concept of health outcome, including not only mortality but also morbidity. [from abstract]

Addressing the Global Health Workforce Crisis: Challenges for France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK

This report compares the foreign and domestic policies regarding health workers in five European Union countries, which have some of the highest densities of doctors and nurses in the world. It looks at the reasons for health shortages in both source and destination countries, exploring what needs to change or to be put into practice in order to fulfil the requirements of the WHO Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel and to strengthen health systems in the developing world. [from summary]

Reflections on the Ethics of Recruiting Foreign-Trained Human Resources for Health

This study focuses on the recruitment practices of Canada (a country with a long reliance on internationally trained HHR) and recruiters working for Canadian health authorities. [adapted from abstract]

Simulation for Teaching Normal Delivery and Shoulder Dystocia to Midwives in Training

The aim of this study was to compare the effect on students’ knowledge of a simulation session versus an image-based lecture, for teaching routine management of normal delivery and resolution of shoulder dystocia to midwives in training. [from abstract]

South African Health Review 2010

The 2010 edition of the SAHR focuses on two main issues: Reflections on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Perspectives on a National Health Insurance (NHI) for South Africa. As is customary, the Review ends with the Indicators section which provides a range of indicators relevant to the MDGs and NHI. [from summary]

Job Satisfaction and Motivation of Health Workers in Public and Private Sectors: Cross-Sectional Analysis from Two Indian States

The objective of this paper is to identify important aspects of health worker satisfaction and motivation in two Indian states working in public and private sectors. [from abstract]

Motivation and Job Satisfaction among Medical and Nursing Staff in a Cyprus Public General Hospital

The objective of this study was to investigate how medical and nursing staff of the Nicosia General Hospital is affected by specific motivation factors, and the association between job satisfaction and motivation; and to determine the motivational drive of socio-demographic and job related factors in terms of improving work performance. [from abstract]

Employment of Foreign Health Professionals in the South African Health Sector

The aim of this policy is to promote high standards of practice in the recruitment and employment of health professionals who are not South African Citizens or permanent residents in the health sector in South Africa. It attempts to preclude the active recruitment of health professionals from developing countries without specific government agreements. [adapted from author]

Monitoring Community Pharmacist's Quality of Care: a Feasibility Study Using Pharmacy Claims Data to Assess Performance

The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility of routine use of information from community pharmacy claims databases by regulatory authorities to screen the quality of care provided at community pharmacies. [from abstract]

Density of Healthcare Providers and Patient Outcomes: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Multi-Site HIV Treatment Program in Uganda

This article examined the association between density of healthcare providers and patient outcomes using a large nationally representative cohort of patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy in Uganda. [from abstract]

Competencies Tools

This is a digital collection of health competency tools. The Competence Search tool enables you to search the database for specific health worker competencies. The Health Functional Map is another tool to help you find relevant competences based upon the Skills for Health, Health Functional Map, and covers all of the functions that are needed to deliver effective health care services. The Self Assessment tool enables assessment of your own abilities against competences in lists/profiles. The Team Assessment tool enables a skills mix analysis of your team.

Towards a Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing the Performance of Health Workers in Maternal, Neonatal and Reproductive Health at Community Level: Learning from Experiences in the Asia and Pacific Regions

This discussion paper presents a comprehensive approach to the assessment of individual health worker, team and HRH management performance in the context of health system strengthening and the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 5. It provides examples of lessons learned in the planning, implementation and evaluation of HRH interventions in maternal, neonatal and reproductive health at the community level in the Asia and Pacific regions and considerations for enhanced performance in this area. [from introduction]

Improving the Quality of HRH Information: a Focus on the Providers of Maternal, Neonatal and Reproductive Health Care and Services at Community Level in Selected Asia and Pacific Countries

Despite the importance of accurate information about health service personnel and the context in which they practise, little is known about providers at the community level. The purpose of this discussion paper is to describe information flows and gaps concerning the workforce that provide maternal, neonatal and reproductive health care and services at community level; discuss potential stakeholders’ HRH information needs and uses; and provide recommendations for improving the availability, quality and use of HRH information. [from introduction]

Strengthening Health Systems by Engaging the Private Health Sector: Promising HIV/AIDS Partnerships

While purely private sector initiatives can also help to achieve HIV/AIDS objectives, this paper focuses on how public-private engagement can more sustainably contribute to health systems strengthening. [from introduction]

Increasing Health Worker Capacity Through Distance Learning: a Comprehensive Review of Programmes in Tanzania

This study reviewed and assessed the Tanzania’s current distance learning programs for health care workers, as well as those in countries with similar human resource challenges, to determine the feasibility of distance learning to meet the need of an increased and more skilled health workforce. [adapted from abstract]

Health Workforce Skill Mix and Task Shifting in Low Income Countries: a Review of Recent Evidence

This study uses an economics perspective to review the skill mix literature to determine its strength of the evidence, identify gaps in the evidence, and to propose a research agenda. [from abstract]