Out-Migration/Brain Drain

Although international nurse recruitment campaigns have succeeded in attracting large numbers of migrant nurses to countries such as Ireland, where domestic supply has not kept pace with demand, the long-term success of such initiatives from a workforce planning perspective will depend on the extent to which these nurses can be retained in destination countries. [from introduction]

This article describes the imbalance between the influx of foreign nurses and the out-migration of indigenous personnel in South Africa. [adapted from introduction]

This presentation from the 2004 Seminar on Health and Migration details the effects of the international migration of Ghanian healthcare workers and the impact the Diaspora could have on the problem.

This presentation from the 2004 Seminar on Health and Migration details factors contributing to international migration of healthcare workers and strategies to counter this trend.

This paper details the conclusions of a June 2004 Seminar on Health and Migration on the topic of migration of health care workers.

This paper advocates multiple strategies for the United States to further assist with solving the global health workforce crisis.

Internationally trained health professionals are an important part of the domestic workforce, but little is known about pharmacists who come to work in Great Britain. This paper explores the extent to which Great Britain is relying on the contribution of internationally trained pharmacists and to explore their routes of entry and demographic characteristics and compare them to those of pharmacists trained in Great Britain. [adapted from abstract]

This presentation provides the results of studies designed to ascertain which Ghanaian trainee health professionals are more likely to emigrate, as well as the rationale for these choices. It also attempts to identify potential areas for policy intervention in order to moderate the benefits and costs of both the long-term and short-term impact of this situation.

This presentation chronicles the emigration patterns of Ghanaian health professionals and the effects on that country's own health services. There is a specific focus on the emigration expectations of Ghanaian trainee health personnel, as well as offering suggestions for potential methods for addressing the situation.

This presentation offers the findings of a study assessing how policies in richer countries impact least-developed countries, specifically regarding skilled labour migration.

This presentation details issues surrounding the recruitment and utilization of foreign health professionals in the UK.

This presentation covers trends in the out-migration of health professionals as well as the impact on HRH.

This presentation describes perspectives on the out-migration of health professionals in Africa.

This presentation offers the results of a study examining organizational and institutional perspectives on international labor migration, as well as a case study on nurse migration and recruitment from the Philippines to the U.S.

This presentation addresses issues pertaining to nurse migration in the UK including trends, patterns and the impact of soft regulation.

This presentation explores the primary characteristics of the migrant labor force in the UK healthcare sector, including the implications for policies regulating migration and the care sector.

This presentation describes the findings of the Health Workforce and Migration project and their implications. It includes information on recent trends and policies, as well as new evidence on the stock of foreign-born health professionals and nurses in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

This presentation was part of the Mobility, Training and Supply of Health Workers Worshop. It discusses the state of nurse training and mobility and the policy considerations in Bangladesh.

An interview with health development expert Dr. Peter Ngatia about 'brain drain' and its impact on health in Africa. [from introduction]

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This report analyzes international migration and training of health workers in the context of other workforce policies, focusing on doctors and nurses. [from introduction]

The United Kingdom has recruited nurses from countries with a reported surplus in their nursing workforce, such as India and the Philippines. However, little is known about the decision to emigrate made by nurses from these countries. One theory suggests that individuals weigh the benefits and costs of migration: the push and pull factors. This paper challenges the restricted economic focus of this predominant theory and compares the diverse motivations of nurses from different countries as well as those of nurses with previous migratory experience and first-time migrants. [from abstract]

International recruitment of health professionals has been high on the policy debate agenda in recent years with increasing advocacy for the development of an international code of practice, notably the current draft for a WHO global code. This paper assesses the effect of the first national code, which has been in place in England since 2001 and as such has lessons for current initiatives in other countries and globally. [from introduction]

Rural township health centres and urban community health centres play a crucial role in the delivery of primary health care in China. The limited availability and low qualifications of human resources in health are among the main challenges facing lower-level health facilities. This paper aims to analyse the mobility of health workers in township and community health centres. [from abstract]

This paper reports on the first international attempt to investigate the migration intentions of pharmacy students and identify migration factors and their relationships. [from abstract]

Losses of graduates from the Fiji School of Medicine to overseas migration and to the local private sector prompted exploration of the reasons for these losses from the Fiji public workforce. This study provides some support for the view that local or regional postgraduate training may increase retention of doctors. Attention to career pathways and other sources of frustration, in addition to encouragement to complete training, should increase the likelihood of such programs reaching their full potentials. [adapted from abstract]

Migration of medical professionals from developing countries has become a major concern. This brain drain worsens the already depleted healthcare resources in poor countries and widens the gap in health inequities worldwide. This article makes recommendations regarding the collaboration of international organizations to protect the value of this intellectual property. [adapted from article]

The already inadequate health systems of sub-Saharan Africa have been badly damaged by the emigration of their health professionals. This article suggests some practical measures to address the situation. [adapted from summary]

Predicted shortages and recruitment targets for nurses in developed countries threaten to deplete nurse supply and undermine global health initiatives in developing countries. This article supports a twofold approach involving greater diligence by developing countries in creating a largely sustainable domestic nurse workforce, and their greater investment through international aid in building nursing education capacity in the less developed countries that provide nurses. [adapted from abstract]

The author presents a report on the career paths taken by graduates of Makerere Medical School in Uganda.

This paper discusses the pros and cons of health worker migration, describing management methods that are beneficial for both sending and receiving countries. [adapted from abstract]