10 best resources on … health workers in developing countries

• Published in: Health policy and planning Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 479 - 482
• Main Authors: Grépin, Karen A, Savedoff, William D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01-11-2009
• Subjects: Developing Countries; Emigration and Immigration; Health; Health administration; Health Manpower; Health workers; Humans; Labour force; labour requirements; migration; Motivation; Occupational health and safety; Original articles; Policy making; provider incentives; Public policy; migration; provider incentives; developing countries; labour requirements; Health workers
• ISSN: 0268-1080; 1460-2237
• DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czp038

Health systems cannot function without trained health workers, yet until recently researchers & policymakers paid relatively little attention to their role in developing countries. This is due in part to the inherent complexities & limited availability of data -- both of which have also held back research in the world's wealthier countries. But in low- & middle-income countries, these difficulties have been exacerbated by a tendency to focus on more visible issues. In recent years, however, this has changed. The need to address health workers in public policy took on particular prominence after 2000 when increased foreign aid for health programmes confronted limited capacity in many developing countries to apply those funds -- often for a lack of skilled personnel. Research was also spurred by concerns that emigration of health workers was exacerbating the scarcity of health workers in many low- & middle-income countries. Consequently, health workforce issues are now attracting a great deal of attention from politicians, donors, practitioners, advocates & researchers (see, for example, Global Health Workforce Alliance 2006). Adapted from the source document.