Understanding the labour market
Uses of population census data for monitoring geographical imbalance in the health workforce: snapshots from three developing countries
Using census data to map human resources for health in Kenya, Mexico and Viet nam
Authors:
N. Gupta ; P. Zurn; K. Diallo; M. Dal Poz
Publisher:
Department of Health Service Provision, WHO, 2003
Imbalance in the distribution of human resources for health (HRH) is an issue of social and political concern in many countries. However, the empirical evidence to support decision-making is often fragmented, and many standard data sources that can potentially produce statistics relevant to the issue remain underused, especially in developing countries. This study, published in the International Journal for Equity in Health, investigated the uses of demographic census data for monitoring geographical imbalance in the health workforce of three developing countries: Kenya, Mexico and Viet nam.
Strong inequalities were found in the geographical distribution of the health workforce, with the highest densities of HRH tending to be found in the capital areas. Health professionals were found to be most susceptible to inequitable distribution in Kenya and Viet Nam but less so in Mexico compared to their associate professional counterparts. The authors conclude that, while using census data produces detailed statistics on health workforce characteristics at the sub-national level, lack of consistency in the compilation and processing of occupational information continues to hamper comparative analyses for HRH policy monitoring and evaluation. [adapted from author].
