PHA-Exchange> WHO: World Health Day 2006: Asia is losing its health-care workers

[Claudio]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern.weitzel at undp.org>
and: PIO_Unit at wpro.who.int

WORLD HEALTH DAY 2006
Asia is losing its health-care workers

29 March 2006, MANILA—Each year the World Health
Organization (WHO) celebrates World Health Day on 7 April.

This year we are highlighting the crippling impact of the
migration of health-care workers from Asia (and other
regions) to the developed world. For example, 15,000 nurses
leave the Philippines each year. Some Philippine doctors are
even retraining as nurses so that they, too, can join the
exodus.

This brain drain is having a serious effect across Asia, and
if nothing is done, some countries may have difficulty
delivering basic health services.

Please visit our website at
http://www.wpro.who.int/sites/whd/main.htm, where you will
find useful facts and figures and a full background on the
situation.

WHO experts will also be available for interviews.

Photos are available free of charge at
http://imagebank.wpro.who.int/. Merely key "World Health Day
2006" into the Keyword box and click Submit Query.

The photos are stored in low resolution. To obtain a
high-resolution copy, please reference the image id and
email Feona Sebastian  at sebastianf at wpro.who.int  or fax
(+63 2) 521 1036, tel (+63 2) 528 9331. Email requests will
be fulfilled within hours.

Captions can be found below the pictures. Photo credits
should be in the following style: John Public/WHO/WPRO/Image
Bank.
For more information, please contact the Public Information Office:
Mr Peter Cordingley,
e-mail: cordingleyp at wpro.who.int; or
lingadm at wpro.who.int; or
Ms Teena Nery at (63 2) 528 9991, or neryt at wpro.who.int.