PHA-Exchange> GEN: UN AGENCY HAILS TASK FORCE SET UP TO TACKLE GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF HEALTH-CARE WORKERS

[Claudio]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern at coombs.anu.edu.au>

UN AGENCY HAILS TASK FORCE SET UP TO TACKLE GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF HEALTH-CARE 
WORKERS
The United Nations World Health Organization
(<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr05/en/index.html">WHO) 
today welcomed the
formation of a new task force that will explore how to eliminate the global 
shortage of doctors,
nurses and other health workers, as estimates show another 4.3 million of 
these professionals are
needed, especially in developing countries that are must vulnerable to 
medical crises.

The Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA), set up last year by WHO, has 
established the 11-member
task force, which includes two current health ministers in African 
governments as well as a host of
senior health administrators and other policy-makers.

The new grouping is expected to focus on championing substantially increased 
investment in educating
and training health workers in developing countries and on building 
international support for
practical steps to deal with the worker shortage.

The greater use of distance-learning technology and increased links between 
universities and
training institutions in the developed and the developing world are among 
the issues under
consideration.

In a statement released by WHO at its headquarters in Geneva, 
Director-General Margaret Chan said
“the simple fact is that the world needs many more health workers… 
Infectious diseases have staged a
dramatic comeback, and chronic diseases are on the rise. We cannot improve 
people’s health without
staff to deliver health care.”

WHO estimates there is a shortage of 4.3 million health workers around the 
world, including more
than 1 million in Africa, and 57 countries have been labelled as having 
critical shortages of workers.

The task force, which met for the first time today, is co-chaired by Lord 
Nigel Crisp, the former
chief executive of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, and 
Bience Gawanas, the
African Union (AU) Commissioner for Social Affairs. Its initial 
recommendations are due to be
presented to the GHWA Forum during the northern autumn this year.

The GHWA was set up in May last year with the aim of bringing UN agencies, 
non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), academics, professional associations, donors and 
others together to find
solutions to the health workforce crisis. The Alliance’s secretariat is 
provided by WHO.