Session Programme

Parallel session

Monday, 19 April 2010

Session PS09/room 2

Impact of Global Health Initiatives on the Health Workforce

Chairs: Andrew Harmer, Research Fellow, Health Policy Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Coordinator of the Global Health Initiative Network, United Kingdom
Wim Van Damme, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium

Do we need more doctors or more community health workers in low-income countries? The answer is obvious and refreshingly simple: we need both. LICs will most likely need a mix of the two approaches to strengthen their health workforce, an issue deemed crucially important by the 'Maximizing positive synergies between health systems and Global Health Initiatives' WHO research effort. However, as always, and even more so in the current global environment, funding is a key issue. In order to get a sufficiently skilled and sufficiently large workforce in these countries in the short term, and ensure sustainability, money is required. Plenty of it, and preferably long term. 'Innovative' thinking is crucial, and that is where GHIs can arguably play a major role in providing predictable funding. However, GHI investments in the health workforce have focused on short-term investments. There is a risk they are being pushed in the direction of short-term health system improvement, favouring for example, the strategy of community health workers, instead of aiming at comprehensive health workforce development.

Present and Potential Roles of Global Health Funds and Health Systems Strengthening

Gorik Ooms, Department of Public Health Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium

Ethiopian Human Resource for Health Policy: The Role GHIs and IHP+ Are and Should Be Playing

Yibeltal Assefa, Medical Services Directorate, Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia

GHIs and Health Workforce - The Importance of State Ownership and Actor Coordination: Field Perspectives from Burundi and South Africa

Johann Caihol, School of Public Health, University of Western Cape, South Africa & National Centre for HIV Reference, Burundi

Threats and Opportunities of Financial Aid for Health

Ulrich Laaser, Vice-President/President Elect, World Federation of Public Health Associations, Germany