Browse by Geographic Focus

Addressing Educational Needs of Health Workers in Ghana Using Distance Education

The paper seeks to analyze the import of distance education for promotion of proficiency skills in the health sector and review ongoing professional development programmes for health workers in Ghana, and come out with strategies to offer training avenues leading to the professional growth of the individuals and economic growth of the country. [from abstract]

Balanced Counseling Strategy Plus: a Toolkit for Family Planning Service Providers Working in High HIV/STI Prevalence Settings

This toolkit is an interactive, client-friendly approach for improving counseling on family planning and prevention, detection, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. It includes a training of trainers guide that supervisors and others can use to train health care facility directors and service providers on how to use the BCS+ for counseling family planning clients. [from publisher]

Primary Care Groups: Improving the Quality of Care Through Clinical Governance

This article discusses the agenda for monitoring and improving the quality of health care through the use of clinical governance in National Health Service organizations in the UK. [adapted from introduction]

Evaluation of Uptake and Attitude to Voluntary Counseling and Testing among Health Care Professional Students in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania

Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) is a cornerstone for successful implementation of prevention, care and support services among HIV negative and positive individuals. VCT is also perceived to be an effective strategy in risk reduction among sexually active young people. This study aimed to assess the acceptability of VCT and its actual uptake among young health care professional students. [adapted from abstract]

Cost-Effectiveness Study of Caesarean-Section Deliveries by Clinical Officers, General Practitioners and Obstetricians in Burkina Faso

This paper evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alternative training strategies for increasing access to emergency obstetric care in Burkina Faso. [adapted from abstract]

Evidence-Based Practice in Neonatal Health: Knowledge among Primary Health Care Staff in Northern Viet Nam

An estimated four million deaths occur annually among children in the neonatal period. Current evidence-based interventions could prevent a large proportion of these deaths; however, neonatal health care workers need to have knowledge regarding such practices before being able to put them into action. This survey assesses the knowledge of primary health care practitioners regarding basic, evidence-based procedures in neonatal care in a Vietnamese province and investigates whether differences in level of knowledge were linked to certain characteristics of community health centers.

Health Sector in Malawi

This report summarizes elements of the primary health strategy and the health sector goals established by the Malawi Ministry of Health.

Training and Mobility of Nurses: the Bangladesh Case

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.

Using Facts to Improve Health Worker Allocation in Cote d'Ivoire

Before the HRH situation could be addressed, it had to be measured. While it was long apparent that HRH availability, quality, and management needed to be improved, data to determine staffing needs and guide staff training and allocation were lacking. [from author]

Incentives for Health Worker Retention in Kenya: an Assessment of Current Practice

The study used a literature review and field research to obtain data on strategies for the retention of health workers in various institutions in Kenya.

Making an Impact: Transforming Service at a Remote Hospital in Kenya

This issue of Voices discusses the impact of the Emergency Hiring Plan developed in combination with the Capacity Project and the Kenyan Ministry of Health to increase the number of qualified professionals working in Kenya’s public health facilities. [adapted from author]

Hearing Community Voices: Grassroots Perceptions of an Intervention to Support Health Volunteers in South Africa

With the scarcity of African health professionals, volunteers are earmarked for an increased role in HIV/AIDS management, with a growing number of projects relying on grassroots community members to provide home nursing care to those with AIDS - as part of the wider task-shifting agenda. Yet little is known about how best to facilitate such involvement. This paper reports on community perceptions of a 3-year project which sought to train and support volunteer health workers in a rural community in South Africa. [from abstract]

Decentralization - Centralization Dilemma: Recruitment and Distribution of Health Workers in Remote Districts of Tanzania

This study highlights the experiences and challenges associated with decentralisation and the partial re-centralisation in relation to the recruitment and distribution of health workers. [from abstract]

Guideline for Regional HRH Country Strategic Planning

This presentation covers the proces of developing a regional guideline for country strategic planning, results from a situational analysis, a draft regional guideline and the next steps. [adapted from author]

Human Resources and Financing for the Health Sector in Malawi

This report summarizes the key problems in the health sector and their implications on human resources for health and financing of the health sector; discusses the issues on human resources for health; explores options for improving the production, deployment, retention and management of these workers; analyzes the current state of financing in the health sector; explores options for the financing of essential health services and non-EHP services; and summarizes the way forward. [adapted from introduction]

Nightmare to Awakening: Performance Improvement for Health Management in Uganda

This issue of Voices describes the Capacity Project’s work on the health management information system (HMIS) in Uganda including an assessment of the HMIS performance and support in setting standards for using it effectively.

Assessment of the Eye Care Workforce in Enugu State, South-Eastern Nigeria

The availability and distribution of an appropriate eye care workforce are fundamental to reaching the goals of “VISION 2020: The right to sight”, the global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness. The objectives of the study were to determine the availability and distribution of human resources for eye care delivery in Enugu Urban, south-eastern Nigeria. [from abstract]

Africa's Health Worker Crisis: an Interview with Dr Peter Ngatia

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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Trends in London’s NHS Workforce: an Updated Analysis of Key Data

This working paper aims to outline the evolving picture of how London’s health care labour market is performing within the context of these changes by comparing previous findings with more recent data. It also looks at the challenges ahead and some possible ways forward. [adapted from introduction]

Nurse-Driven, Community-Supported HIV/AIDS Treatment at the Primary Health Care Level in Rural Lesotho

A joint pilot program was launched at the primary health care level in Lesotho through which nurses were trained and empowered to assume high levels of clinical responsibility for HIV care, including ART. This nurse-driven, community-supported model of care has proven to be successful in delivering quality HIV/AIDS and TB services integrated into existing primary health care structures for a population living in remote, rural areas. [from summary]

Senegal Private Sector Health Rapid Assessment

This report is the result of a rapid assessment conducted to better understand the current and potential market for family planning products and services in the private health sector in Senegal, as well as to provide recommendations to strengthen the private health sector. [adapted from executive summary]

Rural Allied Health Workforce Study: Background, Rationale and Questionnaire Development

The Rural Allied Health Workforce Study (RAHWS) uses a cross-sectional survey instrument with high validity to provide a large scale but detailed profile of the allied health workforce in regional, rural and remote Australia. The RAHWS survey instrument has been designed to provide uniform data across a wide range of healthcare settings and will be used to explore the rural allied health workforce in rural regions in Australia during 2009 and 2010. [from abstract]

Use of Task-Shifting to Rapidly Scale-Up HIV Treatment Services: Experiences from Lusaka, Zambia

This report describes field experiences with task shifting in Lusaka, Zambia, where a large public-sector ART program has enrolled over 71,000 HIV-infected adults and children across 19 program sites. It advocates a comprehensive, three-pronged approach to task-shifting that comprises training, on-site clinical mentoring, and continuous quality assurance. A structured approach is important so that clinical care is not compromised when clinical duties are initially shifted to less specialized health professionals. [from introduction]

Internationally Recruited Nurses from India and the Philippines in the United Kingdom: the Decision to Emigrate

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]

Five-Year Health Sector Strategy: Investing in Health and Achieving the MDGs 2007-2011

The health sector has prepared this 5 year strategy in for developing a 5 year strategic plan for all sectors in Sudan. The purpose of this policy document is to provide a framework for the health system reform and sustainable development. It stipulates as well the most important health priorities to be addressed during the coming five years (2007-2011). [from introduction]

Sudan Health System Profile

This document profiles the Sudan Health System, detailing the resources it employs the and the challenges it faces.

25 Year Strategic Plan for Health Sector

This strategy was prepared in response to the national government initiative of developing a 25-year strategic plan for all sectors in Sudan. The purpose of this policy document is to give a framework for health systems and services development from 2003-2027. It provides a road map for identifying key priority areas and defining the context within which the health system will perform. The strategy will provide a guide for policy makers and service providers to achieve the future vision. [from introduction]

HRH Strategic Work Plan for Sudan 2008-2012 (Draft)

This strategic work plan for HRH in Sudan is introduced with the aim of guiding the efforts and further work in developing human resource plans at different levels of the health system in a comprehensive approach that considers all dimensions of HRH. The plan also defines the issues and priorities and suggests strategic actions to revive and improve HR policies, planning, production and management systems. [from executive summary]

National Physician Database, 2006-2007 Data Release

The National Physician Database (NPDB) provides information on the demographic characteristics of Canadian physicians and their level of activity within the country's medical care system. It is used by governments, professional associations, consulting firms, pharmaceutical companies, researchers and the media for medical human resource planning and utilization analysis. [adapted from introduction]

Men's Partnership in Maternal Health (Jordan)

This video resource shows that despite the awareness advancement regarding reproductive health, women in Jordan still bear the burden of their health alone. This is especially true in rural areas; however, despite social criticism, men have decided to stand by their wives. [adapted from synopsis]