• Migration

Migration

This article examines the causes of the brain drain from Africa and considers solutions to this problem. The author describes the brain drain as a loss of health workers (hard brain drain) and unavailability of research results to users in Africa (soft brain drain). The "pull factors" of the hard brain drain include better pay and working conditions, possible job satisfaction and more prospects for further education. "Push factors" are described as poor working conditions, including lack of career advancement, lack of essential equipment, and lack of or limited availability of specialist training. "Grab factors" are aggressive advertisements and recruiting agents in developed countries, as well as networks of former migrants.

The author examines a number of solutions. These include: training more health professionals; adapting health training curricula to the African context; encouraging the development of specialist training programmes in African medical schools; improving pay of health professionals; and encouraging unionism among professionals. Other policy options include ethical recruitment; stopping recruitment from developing countries altogether; and encouraging return. However, the dilemma is how to balance personal autonomy, the right to economic prosperity, the right to personal professional development, and the expectations of the public in relation to adequate public health care services. [adapted from author]

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