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Human resources for health and the global HIV/AIDS pandemic

Human resources observatory for Africa would help tackle AIDS

Authors: H. Burkhalter
Publisher: Physicians for Human Rights, 2005

Full text of document

This testimony to the United States (US) House International Relations Committee by Physicians for Human Rights, outlines the impact of HIV and AIDS on human resources for health (HRH) in Africa and suggests how the US government could help to address these issues. The author outlines the health worker shortage in Africa due to lack of funding for public health and the brain drain. Additional duties such as AIDS counselling, testing and treatment in an overburdened health workforce threatens to weaken fragile public health systems and erode other primary health initiatives.

The document recommends providing technical assistance to developing countries to assess their existing HRH situation and to develop strategies to improve it. Secondly, the authors outline how the US should help fund the implementation of these strategies, which are likely to include: higher salaries for personnel, incentives to work in rural areas, increased worker safety, improved human resource (HR) management and increased capacity of training institutions. Thirdly, funding is needed immediately and can be implemented before national HRH strategies are finalised. Examples of immediately fundable efforts include ensuring health worker safety and improving HR management. Finally, establishing an African HR observatory would promote evidence-based HR policy, and help policy makers to share experiences. [adapted from author]