Health Workers

What’s Ahead? Making Commitments to Strengthening the Health Workforce

Sarah DwyerThis week we’ve celebrated the amazing lifesaving work of health workers around the world, as part of the first-ever World Health Worker Week. We’ve also raised awareness of some of their challenges. Of course, one week is not enough, and health workers deserve our support and appreciation everyday—especially those on the frontlines.

Now it’s time to look ahead.

CapacityPlus and our lead partner, IntraHealth International, are deeply engaged in the planning process for the Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, which will take place November 10–13 in Recife, Brazil. We want this to be far more than a regular conference or a celebration of health workers—this event will serve as a target date to mobilize action on health workforce strengthening to achieve the health MDGs. Read more »

Health Is Wealth

This post was originally published on the IntraHealth International blog.

Meet three men in Africa who share two key beliefs: access to health care for all people is vital, and healthy people build strong economies.

Samuel Nugblega of the Christian Health Association of Ghana believes in helping his country develop economically by improving the health of Ghanaians. “Health is fundamental to everything,” he says. “And from Ghana, we say health creates wealth.” To bring this about, Samuel works to support the health workers who deliver vital services. Read more »

Who Deserves Our Thanks? Health Workers Who Save Lives

Sarah DwyerI’m afraid of snakes. It’s such a clichéd fear that I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but there it is. Hiking on a steep and winding trail recently, I turned a corner and almost stomped on a giant snake. I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn’t seen it at the last second.

In Accra, Ghana, one person’s reptilian encounter didn’t turn out so lucky. A very poisonous species bit him and he went into shock. The snakebite would have been fatal. Fortunately, a health worker was there to save his life. Read more »

What’s the Issue? Not Enough Health Workers in Susan’s Maternity Unit

When Susan Alio describes what she likes best about her job, a smile spreads across her face and her eyes light up. “When mothers come,” she says softly and swiftly, “and they have a normal birth, they go with their babies, healthy, without any complication, that one gives me joy.” She’s perfectly poised in her crisp white uniform and cap. 

Susan obviously loves her job as a midwife at Naguru Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, but it’s not easy. She feels the effects of the global shortage of health workers firsthand, on a daily basis. When she’s asked about her challenges, her big smile fades and her words slow down. “My biggest challenge is usually not enough staffs on the station, because you end up being stretched, and then when you’re stretched you’re not able to deliver at your best,” she explains. Read more »

Picturing Our Work: Scaling Up Health Worker Education

What’s the woman in this photo smiling about? Where in the world was it taken? Read more »

Universities and Global Health: Key Themes and Challenges

Crystal NgFrom March 14–16, I attended the Consortium of Universities for Global Health’s annual conference in Washington, DC. Here are some of the key themes and messages I gleaned from the various speakers and participants:

  • Universal health coverage was consistently mentioned throughout the conference. Noncommunicable diseases, mental health, women and girls, and community health workers were also discussed frequently.
  • Concerns on the horizon focused on how complex issues like climate change, human rights, and increasingly limited resources (e.g., the US Government’s budget sequester) affect the health sector.

Responding to the Rise in Noncommunicable Diseases

Doris MwareyAre health workers around the world equipped to handle the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that are on the rise?

NCDs such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes are the leading cause of mortality in the world. According to WHO (2010) statistics, 36 million of the 57 million deaths in 2008 were due to NCDs, and the number of people, families, and communities afflicted by NCDs is increasing.

What about in sub-Saharan Africa?
The WHO statistics also show that 12 of the 15 countries with over 800 NCD deaths per 100,000 population in 2008 were in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more »

“You Never Think It Will Happen to You”: Health Workers Confront the Risks of Tuberculosis

This post was originally published on the IntraHealth International blog.

PatSarah Dwyerricia Bond was working as a nurse at a health facility in South Africa when she developed some troubling symptoms. Eventually she was diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a dangerous form of the disease that doesn’t respond to the usual medications and is notoriously difficult to treat.

“You hear of TB,” Patricia says, “but you never think it will happen to you.”

In South Africa, one epidemic has fueled another—HIV has sent TB rates soaring. The country now has the third-highest incidence of TB in the world, behind only India and China. And just by going to work every day, health workers like Patricia face major risk of exposure.    Read more »

Picturing Our Work: Providing Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Devika ChawlaThere are approximately 17.5 million orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria. In fact, one in every ten households in Nigeria is providing care for an orphan. How can we ensure safety and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS and other children in need of protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation?

Social service workers can play a crucial role in bridging the formal child protection system with the local community. But Nigeria, like many countries, is currently facing a severe shortage of these workers. Mapping and assessing the current social service workforce is the first step to strengthening this workforce; it provides a “snapshot” of the current system and allows a country to plan strategic strengthening. In January 2013, CapacityPlus initiated a gap analysis to assess challenges and opportunities in social work policy, practice, capacity, and education. Read more »

US Investments in Foreign Aid Provide a Healthy Return

This post was originally published on USAID's IMPACT blog.

What if you could take a fraction of a penny and use it to help build a health system? Believe it. It takes only a fraction of a single penny per American taxpayer dollar to train a global health workforce—a workforce that will reach millions through treatment, prevention, and counseling services.

Just ask midwife Teddy Tiberimbwaku, who had the opportunity to meet Uganda’s vice president Thursday.

Last year, Uganda’s Ministry of Health, operating with only one doctor and 13 nurses to serve every 10,000 people, was told by the Ministry of Public Service that not only could it not create any new positions, but also any unfilled positions—some 42 percent of them—would be lost. Read more »

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