HRH Global Resource Center Spotlight
HRH Global Resource Center Spotlight
HRH Global Resource Center July Newsletter Jul 15th, 2008
News
- Oman has been added to the geographic category.
- The GRC has published an original resource created by the Capacity Project and the Ministry of Health in Uganda, Mapping the Human Resources Management Processes in Uganda.
- French versions of all the Capacity Project Technical Briefs are now available on the GRC.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,753 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including the Capacity Project publications "Yielding Very Positive Results: Improving Decentralized HIV Services in Costa Rica."
Resource Spotlight: Crisis in Human Resources for Health Care and the Potential of a Retired Workforce: Case Study of the Independent Midwifery Sector in Tanzania Jul 15th, 2008
Photo by: J.Dunlop, USAID
The human resource crisis in health care is an important obstacle to attainment of the health-related targets for the Millennium Development Goals. One suggested strategy to alleviate the strain upon government services is to encourage new forms of non-government provision. Detail on implementation and consequences is often lacking, however. This article examines one new element of non-government provision in Tanzania: small-scale independent midwifery practices. A multiple case study analysis over nine districts explored their characteristics, and the drivers and inhibitors acting upon their development since permitted by legislative change.
Resource Spotlight: Guidelines: Incentives for Health Professionals Jun 19th, 2008
for Health Professionals
The growing gap between the supply of health care professionals and the demand for their services are recognized as a key issue for health and development worldwide. Policy-makers, planners and managers continue to seek effective means to recruit and retain staff. One way to achieve this is to develop and implement effective incentive schemes.
HRH Global Resource Center June Newsletter Jun 9th, 2008
News
- The GRC has published an original user submitted resource, Role of Networking in Managing Migration of Human Resources for Health in the Philippines.
- Barbara Stilwell has contributed the GRC’s first expert resource review to add valuable critical feedback to a GRC resource. You can also or see her Reviewer Bioto learn more about her.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,751 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including the Capacity Project publications "Working from the Inside: Mainstreaming HIV into Government Planning in Kenya" and "I Can Make a Difference in One's Family Life: Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Ethiopia" as well as a letter in The Lancet written by Barbara Stilwell, Anne Wilson and Jim McCaffery "Non-Physician Clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa."
Resource Spotlight: HRH Action Framework May 29th, 2008
The HRH Action Framework is designed to assist governments and health managers to develop and implement strategies to achieve an effective and sustainable health workforce. By using a comprehensive approach, the Framework will help address staff shortages, uneven distribution of staff, gaps in skills and competencies, low retention and poor motivation, among other challenges.
HRH Global Resource Center May Newsletter May 13th, 2008
News
- The GRC has launched the first online video version of its HRH Leaders in Action interview series with Dr. Eddie Mukooyo.
- St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Dominica and Trinidad & Tobago have been added to the subject category.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,733 resources, and 77 have been added this month. Ten of the latest additions are below.
Resource Spotlight: Capacity Planning in Health Care: a Review of the International Experience Apr 23rd, 2008
Health systems in most high-income countries aim to provide a comprehensive range of services to the entire population and to ensure that standards of quality, equity and responsiveness are maintained. Although approaches vary widely, responsibility for developing the overall framework for financing and organizing health care usually lies with the central government, while governance of the health system is often shared by central and regional authorities.
HRH Global Resource Center April Newsletter Apr 14th, 2008
News
- Health Sector Managers has been added to the subject category.
- The IntraHealth website has posted a news article, "Featured at the Conference on Global Health - The HRH Global Resource Center."
- The IntraHealth site also now includes an RSS feed of all the GRC Resource Spotlight articles in attractive, easy to read format.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,661 resources, and 65 have been added this month. Ten of the latest additions are below including the Capacity Project publications, "Assessment of the Additional Duties Hours Allowance (ADHA) Scheme: Final Report" and "Planning, Developing and Supporting the Health Workforce: Human Resources for Health (HRH) Action Workshop."
Resource Spotlight: Uganda Health Workforce Study: Satisfaction and Intent to Stay Among Health Workers in Public and PNFP Facilities Apr 8th, 2008
This presentation was given at the First Forum on Human Resources for Health in Kampala. It describes a study to identify the level of satisfaction among current health workers in public and PNFP sectors, determine health workers intent to stay in the Ugandan health sector and to collaborate with the Ugandan Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to develop strategies to improve retention of health workers. The identified factors associated with health worker satisfaction, turnover and out-migration will be used to develop strategies and policies to improve health worker satisfaction and retention.
Resource Spotlight: First GHWA Forum on Human Resources for Health in Kampala Mar 19th, 2008
The first Global Forum on Human Resources for Health was held in Kampala, Uganda from 2-7 March, 2008. It called for immediate and sustained action to resolve the critical shortage of health workers around the world. Attendees at the Forum endorsed the Kampala Declaration and the Agenda for Global Action. This high profile event was attended by nearly 1500 participants, including donors, experts and ministers of health, education and finance. [from conference website]
HRH Global Resource Center March Newsletter Mar 12th, 2008
News
- Work Environment has been added to the subject category.
- Are you aware that the GRC provides librarian support to anyone who has a question on HRH resources? To contact us for help or with suggestions, use our online form.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC published the latest HRH Leaders in Action Interview with Adeline Kimambo.
- The GRC currently has 1,597 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including the Capacity Project publications, "Linking Up: Creating a Complete Picture of Swaziland's Health Workforce," "Looking to the Future: Improving Family Planning Access and Quality in Rwanda," "Assessing the Human Resource Capacity for Implementation of the National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Process Description and Tool Library," and "Human Resource for Health (HRH) Strategic Planning."
HRH Global Resource Center February Newsletter Feb 14th, 2008
News
- Latvia, Switzerland, Lithuania and Estonia have been added to the geographic category.
- The GRC has reorganized the Education and Training category to better classify the resources and make it easier for users to navigate. The new section has the following categories:
- Education and Training general documents about educating and training health workers
- Continuing Education resources about continuing education for health workers
- Curriculum - curriculum that can be used to train health workers
- Training Effectiveness resources that discuss the impact of training programs
- Training Interventions resources concerned with health worker training programs
- In-Service Training resources about training programs for current health workers
- Pre-Service Education resources about training programs for future health workers
- Training Methodologies resources about developing training systems and different methods of training
- Distance Education information about health worker training that can be done remotely
- Training of Trainers resources on how to train health worker trainers
- Course on Health Systems Through Conflict and Recovery
- Conference on Migrant Health in Europe
- Community-Based Family Planning Workshop
- Global Alliance for Pre-Service Education
- Second Global Summit on HIV/AIDS, Traditional Medicine and Indigenous Knowledge
- Berkeley Conference on the Global Health Workforce: From Evidence and Research to Public and Health Care Industry Policy
- Task Shifting to Tackle Health Worker Shortages
- Where Have All the Workers Gone? The Extent of the Global Healthcare Worker Shortage, Why Workers are Leaving and Some Strategies for Addressing the Crisis
- Guideline for Incorporating New Cadres of Health Workers to Increase Accessibility and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy
Resource Spotlight: Task Shifting to Tackle Health Worker Shortages Feb 6th, 2008
Countries all around the world have made significant progress in scaling up HIV services. Nevertheless, major barriers must be overcome if universal access is to be achieved. One of the main constraints is a serious shortage of health workersthe people on the front line of the efforts to prevent and treat HIV infection.
Task shifting is the name now given to a process of delegation whereby tasks are moved, where appropriate, to less specialized health workers. By reorganizing the workforce in this way, task shifting can make more efficient use of the human resources currently available. For example, when doctors are in short supply, a qualified nurse could often prescribe and dispense antiretroviral therapy. Further, community workers can potentially deliver a wide range of HIV services, thus freeing the time of qualified nurses.
Resource Spotlight: Where Have All the Workers Gone? The Extent of the Global Healthcare Worker Shortage, Why Workers are Leaving and Some Strategies for Addressing the Crisis Jan 14th, 2008
Throughout the 1980s, the doctor and nurse-to-patient ratio in sub-Saharan Africa was well below that of other developing countries 1:10,800 for doctors and 1:2,100 for nurses. Some twenty-five years later, ten sub-Saharan African countries still have a 1:10,000 doctor-to-patient ratio, as compared to Honduras, India and Bolivia which each have approximately one doctor per 3,000 population. The problem is most acute in nursing and midwifery. In many countries, the education sector has also undergone reforms that have decreased the number of teachers and allocated fewer resources for public sector basic education. As a result, many secondary school graduates complete their education without the requisite academic skill sets needed to enter nursing, midwifery, medical and pharmacy schools.
Well-intentioned reform approaches have focused on reducing the absolute number of health workers with little or no regard for the mix of skills needed to meet client demand or burden of disease. As a result, those workers who remain are over-worked, poorly motivated and under paid, and eventually leave, thereby further accelerating the worker retention problem.
Resource Spotlight: Guideline for Incorporating New Cadres of Health Workers to Increase Accessibility and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Dec 17th, 2007
This guideline describes an innovative promising practice in human resources for health (HRH) development that has been evaluated and described by the Capacity Project. This guide is for human resources planners and managers in the health sector and sets out the steps required to extend the health workforce by incorporating lay workers (field officers), especially in the delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to home-based clients.
HRH Global Resource Center December Newsletter Dec 10th, 2007
News
- Somalia and Saudi Arabia have been added to the geographic category.
- The GRC has published an original paper, Community Health Workers: a Review of Concepts, Practice and Policy Concerns.
- The Capacity Project in coordination with the GRC has produced a "Voices from the Capacity Project" that focuses on how the GRC is being used by HRH leaders.
- Are you aware that the GRC provides librarian support to anyone who has a question on HRH resources? To contact us for help or with suggestions, use our online form.
- News articles this month include:
- World Health Professions Conference on Role and Future of Health Professions Regulation
- African Health Care Worker Shortage: Forum on Private Sector Responses
- Demo Launches for iHRIS Qualify: A Health Professional Certification & Licensing System
- New Frontiers in Primary Health Care: Role of Nursing and Other Health Professions
- Health Human Resources: Connecting Issues and People 2007 Conference
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,529 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including the Capacity Project publication, "Zanzibar Health Care Worker Productivity Study: Preliminary Study Findings."
Resource Spotlight: Sharing Knowledge on Human Resources for Health: the HRH Global Resource Center Nov 27th, 2007
"The HRH Global Resource Center is the preeminent resource on HR that serves the developing world, and maybe even the developed world, in health," says Tim Martineau, senior lecturer in HR management at the International Health Research Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
To foster a global exchange of human resources for health (HRH) evidence, tools and innovation, the Capacity Project created a searchable collection of HRH resources with librarian support. Launched in May 2006, the HRH Global Resource Center now has over 1,500 resources to support HRH in developing countries and help the health community address workforce challenges.
Resource Spotlight: Human Resources for Health Planning and Policies for Sierra Leone Nov 6th, 2007
The shortfall of health personnel continues to represent one of the major constraints to the development of health services and access to basic health care in Sierra Leone. This is against a background of increased demands for health care from various stakeholders, a shrinking budget against high expectations from the public for quality health care. Sierra Leone has implemented health human resource policies and plans to chart the course for a coherent resolution of major human resources problems and puts in place a framework to facilitate decision making in the human resources arena.
HRH Global Resource Center October Newsletter Oct 8th, 2007
News
- The term Staffing Ratio has been added to the subject category.
- Israel, Singapore, Serbia, Czech Republic, Sierra Leone and Zanzibar have been added to the geographic category.
- The GRC coordinated a review of its resources and subject terms with 5 technical area experts to ensure the quality of the collection and taxonomic appropriateness. Based on their recommendations the GRC removed 7 resources judged to be outdate or not useful; added 16 resources on topics identified as critical for the collection; and modified the taxonomy to include better HIV/AIDS classification and is planning a reorganization of the Education and Training resources as well.
- The GRC was proud to post an HRH Leaders in Action Interview with Khamis Khamis, the Head of the Human Resource Division of the Zanzibar Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Tanzania.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,482 resources and has added 109 new resources this month. Ten of the latest additions are below including two documents the GRC now hosts for the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone: "Sierra Leone Human Resource for Health Development Plan 2006-2010" and "Human Resources for Health Policy in Sierra Leone for the Ministry of Heath and Sanitation;" and two new Capacity Project publications, "Zanzibar Health Care Worker Productivity Study: Preliminary Study Findings" and" Developing the Health Workforce: Training Future Nurses and Midwives in Rwanda."
Resource Spotlight: Towards Better Leadership and Management in Health Working Paper: Report on an International Consultation on Strengthening Leadership and Management in Low-Income Countries Sep 13th, 2007
To achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals, many low-income countries need to significantly scale up coverage of priority health services. This will generally require additional national and international resources, but better leadership and management are key to using these resources effectively to achieve measurable results. Good leadership and management are about providing direction and gaining commitment from partners and staff, facilitating change and achieving better health services through efficient, creative and responsible deployment of people and other resources. While leaders set the strategic vision and mobilize the efforts towards its realization, good managers ensure effective organization and utilization of resources to achieve results and meet the aims.
Resource Spotlight: HRH Fact Sheets Sep 13th, 2007
One of the challenges facing HRH development is having evidenced based information as a base for policy, planning and implementation. Having fact sheets on human resources for health is therefore a real achievement. The data presented here in 46 country fact sheets for all countries in the African Region was collected in a comprehensive HRH data collection exercise in 2005. The development of the questionnaires for this survey was coordinated in the African Regional Office in collaboration with counterparts in headquarters in Geneva. Data collection was routed through the WHO country offices. In most countries, the Ministry of Health was the main source for data. However many other partners such as statistical offices, professional registries and associations contributed to this survey and make it the most comprehensive data collection of health workforce data in Africa to date. These fact sheets provide general information such as total numbers and densities of the health workforce and distribution by cadre.
HRH Global Resource Center September Newsletter Sep 10th, 2007
News
- The terms Counseling and Testing and Mother to Child Transmission have been added to the subject category.
- The GRC was proud to post an HRH Leaders in Action interview with Malena Mohalenyana, the Director of Human Resources for the Ministry of Health in Lesotho.
- News articles since the last newsletter include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,375 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including the new Capacity Project publication, Developing the Health Workforce: Training Future Nurses and Midwives in Rwanda.
HRH Global Resource Center User Survey Sep 5th, 2007
The GRC is a user-driven site that depends on input from our visitors to make decisions about the types of resources to include, needed technological improvements and features, and the future direction of the site. In order to better solicit this valuable information, the HRH Global Resource Center has launched a public user survey to get feedback about the usefulness of the site and suggestions about how we can improve the GRC. The survey will only take a few minutes, and visitors are welcome to answer anonymously. We encourage you to take the survey and share your experiences and ideas with the HRH Global Resource Center team.
HRH Global Resource Center August Newsletter Aug 13th, 2007
News
- The terms Coping Strategies and Home-Based Care have been added to the subject category.
- Romania, Togo, Guyana and Argentina have been added to the geographic category.
- News articles since the last newsletter include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,355 resources and has added 143 new resources this month. Ten of the latest additions are below including two new Capacity Project publications, Guideline for Incorporating New Cadres of Health Workers to Increase Accessibility and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy, and Guideline for Outsourcing Human Resources Services to Make Antiretroviral Therapy Rapidly Available in Underserved Areas.
Resource Spotlight: Providing the Providers — Remedying Africa's Shortage of Health Care Workers Aug 7th, 2007
Copyright 2007 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.
Although the [critical shortage of health care workers] is not new, recent international efforts to vaccinate children and to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases have brought it into sharper focus. Donors are increasingly realizing that without enough trained workers to deliver drugs, vaccines, and care, pumping money into projects will not have the desired effects. The worker shortage derives from a combination of underproduction, internal maldistribution, and emigration of trained workers ("brain drain"). Fortunately, many African countries have begun attacking the problem by implementing innovative programs that may serve as models for other countries. Once effective pilot programs have been identified, scaling up will be the next hurdle: programs that are found to work on a small scale or in a particular environment may not be easy to expand or replicate.
Resource Spotlight: Capacity Building: What Does It Mean? Millennium Development Goal 6: Malaria, HIV Jul 25th, 2007
This presentation was given as part of the Christian Health Associations Conference: CHAs at a Crossroad Towards Achieving Health Millennium Development Goals. It provides an excellent overview of the challenges of Malaria and HIV/AIDS; discusses the human resource needs in light of these challenges; and how to build and maintain capacity. The author presents information on effective malaria interventions and details the Joint Uganda Malaria Training Programme. This model of malaria training influences both the management and control of malaria and is designed to improve quality of care for patients with malaria through building the capacity of health workers in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of malaria.
HRH Global Resource Center July Newsletter Jul 11th, 2007
News
- The GRC has launched a public user survey to get feedback about the usefulness of the site and suggestions about how we can improve the GRC. We encourage all users to take the survey and share your experiences with the GRC.
- Barbara Stilwell has become the first GRC expert reviewer. She will creating reviews of several GRC resources to provide added value to these documents for our users. You can find more information about her in her Reviewer Bio.
- News articles since the last newsletter include:
- Global Health, Justice and the Brain Drain: Conference on International Health Worker Migration
- Striking South African Health Workers Dismissed
- Towards a Scaling-Up of Training and Education for Health Workers: Call for Papers
- From Grassroots to Global: Partnerships to Strengthen Human Resources for Health
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,214 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including two new Capacity publications, "Working with Faith-Based Organizations to Strengthen Human Resources for Health," and "Health Workforce Innovations: a Synthesis of Four Promising Practices," as well as a new resource hosted by the GRC, "State of Human Resources for Health in Zambia: Findings from the Public Expenditure Tracking and Quality of Service Delivery Survey, 2005/06."
Resource Spotlight: Health Sector Reforms and Human Resources for Health in Uganda and Bangladesh: Mechanisms of Effect Jun 27th, 2007
Despite the expanding literature on how reforms may affect health workers and which reactions they may provoke, little research has been conducted on the mechanisms through which health sector reforms either promote or discourage health worker performance. How do reforms affect the health workforce and create responses that are likely to encourage the success or failure of reform objectives? How does context influence the routes through which reforms affect provider incentive environments and eventually motivation and performance? To address these questions, this paper seeks to trace these mechanisms of effect and examines health workers' responses to the changes in their working environments by taking a realistic evaluation approach.
Resource Spotlight: Learning for Performance: a Guide and Toolkit for Health Worker Training and Education Programs Jun 7th, 2007
Health workers are among the most valuable resources of any health system. Developing a strong workforce requires training health workers to perform their jobs, updating their skills and knowledge to match evolving health needs and helping health workers advance along appropriate and satisfying career paths. Learning interventions are critical components of offering good quality health care services, ensuring that health workers perform to standard and addressing the human resources for health crisis facing many countries.
HRH Global Resource Center May Newsletter May 15th, 2007
News
- The GRC is proud to release the third HRH Leaders in Action interview:
- The GRC has a new advanced search that has now allows users to:
- search by keyword or subject, and
- search or limit by publisher, series, journal, language or date.
- Madagascar has been added to the geographic category.
- News articles this month include:
Resource Spotlight: Global HRIS Strengthening: iHRIS Software Apr 13th, 2007
Many developing countries face daunting obstacles to meeting the health care needs of their people. To ensure that the right health care provider is in the right place with the right skills, these countries require current, accurate data on human resources for health (HRH). A strong human resources information system (HRIS) enables health care leaders to quickly answer the key policy and management questions affecting health care service delivery.
The Capacity Project is developing free, Open Source HRIS solutions to supply health sector leaders and managers with the information they need to assess HR problems, plan effective interventions and evaluate those interventions. The project provides a program of technical assistance and expertise to ensure that the technology is transferred effectively and serves the ability of decision makers to use data to lead and manage. The participatory approach results in systems that are appropriate for the context in which they are used and sustainable.
HRH Global Resource Center April Newsletter Apr 11th, 2007
News
- The GRC has a new simple search that provides additional features for users:
- allows searching by phrases using quotation marks;
- accepts non-alphanumeric characters;
- provides the option to filter search results by the category to help refine the choices by subject, country or document type, which also aids new users in finding appropriate subject categories for their topics;
- gives the number of resources in each category; and
- provides options for Boolean operators and the ability to restrict results by the date the resource was published.
- The GRC has added a language field to all resources to help users locate documents available in other languages than English.
- All journal records have been updated to include volume and issue information for better citation reference.
- In response to user requests, GRC resources now open in new window so that it is easier to return to search results.
- Honduras has been added to the geographic category.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,167 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including four resources from the Christian Health Associations Conference that the HRH Global Resource Center now hosts with permission from Interchurch Medical Assistance and the authors and the new Capacity Project publication, "Partnership Building: Practical Tools to Help You Create, Strengthen, Assess and Manage Your Partnership or Alliance More Productively."
Resource Spotlight: Strategic Management of the Health Workforce in Developing Countries: What Have We Learned? Apr 5th, 2007
The study of the health workforce has gained in prominence in recent years, as the dynamic interconnections between human resource issues and health system effectiveness have come into sharper focus. This paper reviews lessons relating to strategic management challenges emerging from the growing literature in this area. Workforce issues are strategic: they affect overall system performance as well as the feasibility and sustainability of health reforms. Viewing workforce issues strategically forces health authorities to confront the yawning gaps between policy and implementation in many developing countries.
Resource Spotlight: Rwanda Human Resources Assessment for HIV/AIDS Services Mar 15th, 2007
As the international community rallies funds to support the expansion of HIV/AIDS services in the developing world, the human resources for health crisis presents a significant challenge to achieving HIV/AIDS service delivery goals. This is especially true of countries in sub-Saharan Africa where, in the last 30 years, the health workforce has declined relative to population growth, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic has intensified health service needs.
HRH Global Resource Center March Newsletter Mar 12th, 2007
News
- Staff Performance has been moved up to the main subject category menu.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The GRC currently has 1,138 resources. Ten of the latest additions are below including the "HRH Action Framework," a joint project of the Capacity Project, the Global Health Workforce Alliance, USAID and WHO; and the latest Capacity Project publication, "Meeting of the Africa Health Workforce Observatory."
Resource Spotlight: Achieving a More Efficient Health Care Workforce Mar 1st, 2007
A key approach to address the global shortage of health care providers is to improve the productivity of existing workers, thereby improving the quality and coverage of services. Workplace environment improvements and task shifting of health functions to different cadres of providers are two promising interventions that are being used for this purpose. This presentation describes innovative solutions to enhance the capacity and productivity of the current workforce and to build coherence into the management of human resources for stronger health systems. Adapted from publishers description.
HRH Global Resource Center February Newsletter Feb 12th, 2007
News
- The term Quality Improvement has been added to the subject category.
- Belgium and Iraq have been added to the geographic areas.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The HRH Global Resource Center currently has 1,119 resources, and 64 new resources have been added since the last newsletter.
Resource Spotlight: Community Home-Based Care for People and Communities Affected by HIV/AIDS: Training Course and Handbook for Community Health Workers Feb 8th, 2007
This pre-tested and peer-reviewed curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for providing holistic Community Home-Based Care (CHBC) for people living with HIV/AIDS, transferring knowledge and skills to caregivers and CHBC clients and mobilizing communities around HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support. The trainers guide includes comprehensive units that cover topics such as: HIV basics; communication skills; nursing care; nutrition; positive living; family planning; HIV prevention; antiretroviral treatment; and community mobilization. The accompanying illustrated handbook provides community health workers with a practical user-friendly tool that can be used as reference material and to aid in transferring skills to clients and caregivers. [publishers description]
Resource Spotlight: Taking Stock: Health Worker Shortages and the Response to AIDS Jan 23rd, 2007
(http://www.who.int/hiv/toronto2006/TTR2_eng.pdf)
Health services depend on having the right people, with the right skills, in the right place. Yet, the world is experiencing a chronic shortage of well-trained health workers, a crisis felt most acutely in those countries that are experiencing the greatest public health threats. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over four million health workers are needed to fill the gap and the global deficit of doctors, nurses and midwives in particular is no less than 2.4 million.
HRH Global Resource Center January Newsletter Jan 11th, 2007
News
- There is a new page, HRH Global Resource Center RSS Feeds, that provides instructions on how to set-up a tailored RSS feed to be notified of new resources added to the collection.
- The term "Leadership" has been added to the subject category.
- Marshall Islands, Denmark, Iceland and Japan have been added to the geographic areas.
- The Global Resource Center collaborated to provide resources suggestions for the upcoming Virtual Leadership Development Program.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The HRH Global Resource Center currently has 1,049 resources, and 110 new resources have been added since the last newsletter.
Establishing Human Resource Systems for Health during Postconflict Reconstruction Jan 4th, 2007
Human Resource Systems for Health during
Postconflict Reconstruction" Occasional Papers
No. 3, Boston: 2006
Health workers are an essential input to service provision. Decisions governing human resources are thus crucially important for rebuilding a health system. In many post-conflict countries, however, little attention is given to identifying the effects of prolonged conflict upon the composition, skills and deployment of the health workforce that is expected to provide services in a rebuilt health system. This paper seeks to elucidate HRH issues in the critical start-up period of reconstruction in countries that have experienced relatively prolonged and major conflict. The examples are drawn mostly from Afghanistan and Cambodia, two countries that experienced more than twenty years of conflict.
Resource Spotlight: Building Stronger Human Resources for Health through Licensure, Certification and Accreditation Dec 12th, 2006
Credentialing of health care providers, facilities and educational institutions is an integral component in building and sustaining robust human resources for health (HRH) systems. The credentialing mechanismslicensure/registration, certification and accreditationare among the most frequently used quality assurance tools in health care and serve as valuable instruments in the broader function of health care regulation. This technical brief examines the characteristics and potential advantages of these mechanisms and common challenges faced in implementing them in low-resource settings. Authors description
HRH Global Resource Center December Newsletter Dec 11th, 2006
News
- The HRH Global Resource Center is proud to present the second in the HRH Leaders in Action interview series: Interview with Naomi Kyobutungi.
- The Help information now includes instructions on how to "Bookmark the HRH Global Resource Center."
- The terms "Gender Policy," "Health Sector Reform," "Information System Development" and "Distance Education" have been added to the subject category.
- Lebanon and Haiti have been added to the geographic areas.
- The Global Resource Center collaborated to provide resources suggestions for the IntraHealth webpage article on World AIDS Day.
- The Spanish version of the World Health Report is now available.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The HRH Global Resource Center currently has 940 resources, and 105 new resources have been added since the last newsletter.
HRH Global Resource Center November Newsletter Nov 14th, 2006
News
- In response to user feedback, we have reorganized several subject terms to provide easier access to highly-used resources. The following terms are now main menu items: "Infectious Diseases" (includes "Malaria" and "Tuberculosis"), "Maternal & Child Health" and "Reproductive Health" (includes "Family Planning").
- The term "Workforce Shortage" has been added to the subject category.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
- The HRH Global Resource Center currently has 837 resources, and 82 new resources have been added this month.
Resource Spotlight: Regional Consultation on Human Resources in Health: Critical Challenges Oct 24th, 2006
With the aim of bringing together the countries of the Americas in a coordinated effort, the Pan American Health Organization, Health Canada, and the Minister of Health of Ontario organized a regional meeting in October 2005 to define strategic orientations that will enable the region to confront critical challenges in HRH. To this end, each participating country was invited to develop a national analysis, with the collaboration of relevant stakeholders, to identify the long term objectives for development and management of human resources as well as immediate objectives for addressing the most critical problems and needs.
HRH Global Resource Center October Newsletter Oct 11th, 2006
News
- The HRH Global Resource Center currently has 757 resources, and 110 new resources have been added this month.
- The Resource Center now has informational flyers available in French and Spanish.
- We now have over 50 subscribers to the Newsletter listserv. Anyone who would like to be emailed this newsletter automatically can sign-up on the Resource Center homepage.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
Past Resource Spotlights Oct 11th, 2006
- Guidelines: Incentives for Health Professionals
- HRH Action Framework
- Capacity Planning in Health Care: a Review of the International Experience
- Uganda Health Workforce Study: Satisfaction and Intent to Stay Among Health Workers in Public and PNFP Facilities
- First GHWA Forum on Human Resources for Health in Kampala
Resource Spotlight: Health Worker Flight from Sub-Saharan Africa: Patterns, Implications & Mitigating Strategies Oct 11th, 2006
The HRH Global Resource Center has recently begun including presentations on HRH topics in the collection. This presentation, "Health Worker Flight from Sub-Saharan Africa: Patterns, Implications & Mitigating Strategies," was given at the 2006 Association of American Medical Colleges' Physician Workforce Research Conference, "2020 Vision: Focusing on the Future." It discusses out-migration and brain drain from sub-Saharan Africa and gives an overview of the issues related to this problem. The presentation offers statistics on the number of health workers, charts representing the deployment of health workers worldwide and pictures of the project to create registries of licensed health personnel in Uganda.
Resource Spotlight: Human Resources Information Systems Strengthening Sep 19th, 2006
Many developing countries are facing daunting obstacles to meet the health care needs of their people. A critical challenge to training, deploying and retaining the health workforce is the lack of current, accurate data about health professionals working in the country. Even when data is collected, usually in paper form, that data often cannot be used effectively. A mature and complete human resources information system (HRIS) links all human resources data from the time health professionals enter pre-service training to when they leave the health workforce. Using the system, decision makers can quickly find the answers they need to assess HRH problems, plan effective interventions and evaluate those interventions.
HRH Global Resource Center September Newsletter Sep 13th, 2006
Welcome to the HRH Global Resource Center Newsletter. This newsletter provides information on the latest resources, improvements and news from the Resource Center, a digital library devoted to human resources for health (HRH). Please contact us with your questions and suggested resources.
News
- The HRH Global Resource Center currently has over 500 resources, and 113 new resources have been added this month.
- The Resource Center now has informational flyers available in French and Spanish.
- Additional topics have been added to the collection such: infectious diseases; maternal & child health; palliative care; reproductive health and family planning.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
HRH Global Resource Update Sep 6th, 2006
News
- We have created a webpage (http://www.hrhresourcecenter.org/staff_aids) for staff with resources to help introduce and share the HRH GRC such as presentation slides and informational flyers.
- HRH GRC informational flyers are now available in French and Spanish. Download copies at http://www.hrhresourcecenter.org/staff_aids or contact the GRC team for print copies.
- CDs of GRC resources have gone out to members of a Southern Sudan working group. The GRC team can work with you on similar arrangements to help users in low-access areas.
- Additional topics have been added to the GRC collection such: infectious diseases; maternal and child health; palliative care; reproductive health and family planning.
- News articles this month include:
- Resource Spotlights include:
Resources
Resource Spotlight: One Million More - Mobilizing the African Diaspora Healthcare Professionals for Capacity Building in Africa Aug 29th, 2006
One Million More presents some of the interventions, debates, discussions and conclusions of a conference held in London from 2122 March 2006. The conference was organized to create a stimulating and interactive forum to discuss the crisis in human resources for health in an effort to influence national, regional and international policies for the promotion of sustainable skills capacity in Africa and to engage the African Diaspora in innovative, practical steps to move the agenda forward.
Resource Spotlight: HRH Strategic Planning Aug 9th, 2006
Many nations create country-level HRH strategic plans in order to ensure that they can produce the required number and types of key health workers, utilize them effectively and retain and motivate existing health workers. Several countries have human resource policies and plans as part of national health policies and strategies or as stand-alone documents that would be useful for those involved in the process of HRH strategic planning.
Resource Spotlight: Partnering with Faith-Based Organizations Jul 20th, 2006
Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have a long history of providing health services to people and communities most in need. Faith-based organizations often deliver 25% to 50% of all health care services for entire countries, often in the most inaccessible and impoverished areas. The WHOs 2004 World Health Report estimates that FBOs make up 20% of all organizations combating HIV/AIDS.