The World Health Organization has published new guidelines meant to address the health worker shortage that plague rural and impoverished regions. In a July 2010 policy recommendation paper, the WHO offers recommendations to aid worker retention and attract new health workers to overlooked areas. Strategies include altering the ways in which students are selected and trained, as well as improvements in working and living conditions.
The WHO explains that “a shortage of qualified health workers in remote and rural areas impedes access to health-care services for a significant percentage of the population, slows progress towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals and challenges the aspirations of achieving health for all.” The WHO’s recommendations come at the request of global leaders, civil society groups, and Member States. WHO recommendations fall into four categories, with greater detail and context available within the body of the Report:
- EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations include targeted admission policies to enroll students with a rural background (who are statistically more likely to then practice in rural areas), exposing students to greater rural field work, and locating schools and residency programs outside of major cities.
- REGULATORY RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations include the creation of compulsory service requirements in rural and remote areas, educational subsidies offered with enforceable agreements of return service work in rural areas, and a focus on increasing the scope of medical practice in remote regions to increase job satisfaction.
- FINANCIAL INCENTIVES RECOMMENDATIONS
The WHO suggests “a combination of fiscally sustainable financial incentives, such as hardship allowances, grants for housing, free transportation, paid vacations, etc., sufficient enough to outweigh the opportunity costs associated with working in rural areas, as perceived by health workers, to improve rural retention.”
- PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations include improved living conditions for health workers and their families in remote locales, career development programs to help rural workers progress in their careers, and the creation and promotion of senior posts in rural areas so that advancing workers are not forced to leave their communities.
The WHO suggests policies should be implemented in conjunction with the country’s national health plan and should be guided by the concept of health equity. The Report states that some countries, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Mali among them, are already considering using WHO recommendations to inform their retention policy.
As WHO guidelines have been disseminated, an August 14 article in The Lancet registered a first critique, underlining the roles of NGOs and INGOs in the internal brain drain within struggling countries. As an addendum to the WHO report, the article offers further policy recommendations, to be implemented in conjunction with WHO strategies.
Posted in: education, financial incentives, GHA, Global HEALTH Act, Health, Health Rights Advocate, lancet, Millennium Development Goals, personal, phrstudents, professional, recommendations, regulatory, the global health act, the Lancet, WHO, world health organization
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The National Student Program’s main purpose is to strengthen Chapters’ advocacy and education skills and support the Chapters’ connection to PHR’s human rights work. As the school year draws to a close, the PHR National Student Program is considering how to make next year better, and we need your help. Take a moment to fill out an evalution survey for the 2009-2010 National Student Program.
Please complete the appropriate survey. Chapter Leaders, you do not need to fill out the evaluation survey for All Students, only your own. Many thanks!
Your response will enable us to provide the skill-building, educational materials, and advocacy opportunities that you want and need.
Thank you for all you’ve done this year with
PHR!
Later this week, more about student leadership and strengthening your PHR Chapter for next fall:
- Putting the Fun into Fundraising for a Strong Start Next Fall
- Opportunities for Student Leadership in Your Region
Stay tuned!
Posted in: advocacy, chapter development, chapters, education, evaluation, Official PHR Posts, strengthening your chapter, Student Blog, survey
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Welcome back! We’re excited to confirm several world-renowned speakers who will be presenting at the National Conference on February 20, 2010.
- Helen Potts, PhD, Chief Program Officer of Health Programs, Physicians for Human Rights. Dr. Potts will speak about the Right to Health on a panel entitled “Human Rights and Health Education: Dueling Frameworks or Essential Integration?”
- Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology, International Health and Health, Behavior and Society; Director of Johns Hopkins Fogarty AIDS International Training and Research Program. Dr. Beyrer will co-facilitate a Strategy Session entitled “Human Rights in Graduate Education.”
- Vincent Iacopino, MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School; Senior Medical Advisor to Physicians for Human Rights. Dr. Iacopino will co-lead the panel entitled “Human Rights and Health Education: Dueling Frameworks or Essential Integration?” and will speak about the urgency of incorporating a human rights approach in professional medical training.
The deadline to apply to the Conference is January 20, 2010, so start building a team from your chapter, and be sure to reach out to faculty members you would like to invite! Consult our Faculty Guide if you have any questions. We look forward to reading your application!
Posted in: 2010 national conference, Chris Beyrer, education, Health, health and human rights education, Helen Potts, hhr ed, HHRE, human rights, national conference, Official PHR Posts, presenters, right to health, Student Blog, vincent iacopino
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Have you spearheaded a project, such as an accredited elective course, to educate your classmates about human rights? Have you organized a reading, writing or film group that works to further human rights advocacy? Does your medical or public health school have an innovative curriculum you’d like to share?
Attend PHR’s 2010 National Conference and present your project at the Education Innovations Expo!
The Education Innovations Expo provides an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their initiatives and to serve as examples for others in how to further human rights awareness in the health community. Presenters will display their projects on posters during breakfast and lunch on the day of the conference, and will receive a Presenter’s Invitation to the conference from PHR!
To apply for the expo, first apply to attend the conference. Then email 300 words or less about your educational innovations to expo[at]phrusa[dot]org. We’ll get back to you about two weeks after you apply. Apply early, as you can use your status as an expo presenter to secure funding from your school. The last day to apply is January 20th.
We hope to see many of you there, presenting your great work!
Posted in: 2010 national conference, conference, education, expo, innovations, national conference, Official PHR Posts, Student Blog, Uncategorized
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