Human resources for health
This human resources for health dossier offers practical up to date information about how to address human resource problems and issues, drawing upon evidence about what works, and identifying innovations in approaches, policy and practice.
Developing countries have committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They will need to make the most effective use of all available resources to achieve the MDGs - this includes human resources. Many countries are improving their short and medium term financial planning and budgetary processes but in the past, few, if any, have given human resource management a similar focus. Now however human resources are being seen to be as crucial as money in improving services for poor people. 
Introduction
The 2006 World Health Assembly (WHA) and the publication of the 2006 World Health Report, Working together for health, constitute the most important events in human resources for health (HRH) of the last decade. More...
Planning for human resources
Planning the supply of and demand for human resources in healthcare is a neglected topic with little consensus on how it should be done. This section covers institutional and system considerations, gender, labour markets, civil service reform and more. More...
Strengthening capacity
This section covers the most frequently discussed and examined areas of policy and practice in human resource management including scaling-up production, nursing workforce, medical workforce and skill mix. More...
Migration
Health professionals form the biggest group of skilled migrants. While some of the world's richest countries benefit from this movement of health workers, it generally has a negative impact on health services in some of the world's poorest countries. More...
Management issues
This section covers human resource management, absenteeism, dual working and performance management. Until recently human resource management has been overlooked, yet it is a significant factor in health systems. More...
HIV and AIDS
In low-income countries with a generalised HIV epidemic, HIV and AIDS has considerably exacerbated existing human resource problems. It has placed a double burden on an already overstretched and poorly functioning health workforce. More...
International initiatives
During the last two years, there has been an increase in the development of new initiatives concentrated in health workforce issues. This section includes initiatives concerned with HIV and AIDS, communicable diseases, public health, MDGs, aid policy and the Global Health Trust. More...
Africa
Health systems have reached the breaking point in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. there is a growing consensus that human resources are a vital part of improving African health systems and making progress towards the MDGs. More...
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