scholarly journals Is health workforce sustainability in Australia and New Zealand a realistic policy goal?

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Buchan ◽  
Lucio Naccarella ◽  
Peter M. Brooks

This paper assesses what health workforce ‘sustainability’ might mean for Australia and New Zealand, given the policy direction set out in the World Health Organization draft code on international recruitment of health workers. The governments in both countries have in the past made policy statements about the desirability of health workforce ‘self-sufficiency’, but OECD data show that both have a high level of dependence on internationally recruited health professionals relative to most other OECD countries. The paper argues that if a target of ‘self-sufficiency’ or sustainability were to be based on meeting health workforce requirements from home based training, both Australia and New Zealand fall far short of this measure, and continue to be active recruiters. The paper stresses that there is no common agreed definition of what health workforce ‘self-sufficiency’, or ‘sustainability’ is in practice, and that without an agreed definition it will be difficult for policy-makers to move the debate on to reaching agreement and possibly setting measurable targets or timelines for achievement. The paper concludes that any policy decisions related to health workforce sustainability will also have to taken in the context of a wider community debate on what is required of a health system and how is it to be funded.

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R Frei ◽  
Richard Beasley ◽  
Douglas Campbell ◽  
Kate Leslie ◽  
Alan F Merry ◽  
...  

We conducted a survey of Australian and New Zealand anaesthetists to determine self-reported practice of perioperative oxygen administration and to quantify perceptions regarding the perceived benefits and risks resulting from liberal oxygen therapy delivered in a manner consistent with the current World Health Organization guidelines. In addition, we sought feedback on the acceptability of several proposed clinical trial designs aiming to assess the overall effect of liberal and restricted perioperative oxygen regimens on patient outcomes. We developed a 23-question electronic survey that was emailed to 972 randomly selected Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Fellows. We received responses from 282 of 972 invitees (response rate 29%). The majority of survey participants indicated that they routinely titrate inspired oxygen to a level they feel is safe (164/282, 58%) or minimise oxygen administration (82/282, 29%), while 5% of respondents indicated that they aim to maximise oxygen administration. The mean value for targeted intraoperative fraction inspired oxygen (FiO2) was 0.41 (standard deviation 0.12). Of the survey respondents, 2/282 (0.7%) indicated they believe that routine intra- and postoperative administration of ≥80% oxygen reduces the risk of surgical site infection. Well-designed and conducted randomised trials on this topic may help to better direct clinicians' choices. A high level of willingness to participate (80% of responses) in a study designed to investigate the impact of differing approaches to perioperative oxygen administration suggests that recruitment is likely to be feasible in a future study.


Author(s):  
Kesavan Sreekantan Nair

Health system reforms in India during the past decade yielded an impressive growth of medical, dental and nursing education opportunities, but health workforce density remains low in comparison to the World Health Organization (WHO) norms. Apart from shortage, retaining qualified health workforce in the rural and underserved areas remains a huge challenge. This crisis is likely to persist until and unless health system addresses the fundamental requirements of health workers as envisaged in health policies. Concerted attention and long term political commitments are required to overcome health system barriers to achieve rural recruitment and retention across various cadres in states. As the major share of health workforce belongs to the private sector, their resources need to be harnessed to meet health system goals through partnerships and collaborations. There is an urgent need for better regulation and enforcement of standards in medical education and delivery of health services across the public and private sectors.


Author(s):  
Uwera S ◽  
◽  
Nikwigize S ◽  
Bagwaneza T ◽  
Rutayisire E ◽  
...  

COVID-19 is an infectious disease and can be transmitted from humans to humans through infected air droplets during coughing and sneezing or though contact with contaminated hands or surfaces. By March 01st 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) reported 113,820,168 confirmed cases globally, among them 2,851,062 are from the continent of Africa. Rwanda reported 18,850 confirmed cases, and 261 deaths. Healthcare systems have been burdened by the huge number of COVID-19 cases. Home-Based Care (HBC) was introduced as an alternative option to control the pandemic specifically in poor resource countries. Since December 2020, the number of COVID-19 case and death continued to rise in Rwanda. To handle this issue, the government of Rwanda started promoting the home-based care for asymptomatic people or patients with mild symptoms and they would be followed up by trained Community Health Workers (CHW). The increased number of positive cases is attributed to inadequate compliance to COVID-19 Infectious Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, low socio-economic status, inability to self-isolate due to having small and shared living rooms, food insecurity, lack of familiarity to disinfection procedures for home sanitation, inadequate access to water, weak policy regulating HBC, insufficient PPEs for CHWs, CHW fear of getting infected through HBC, low level of community awareness and perception, comorbidities, poor communication during follow up of HBC patients. Overall, we concluded that HBC has been very crucial in management of COVID-19 as it relieved the burden on health facilities, but more improvement on HBC is needed to be properly applicable in poor resource settings.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjay Zodpey ◽  
Anjali Sharma ◽  
Quazi Syed Zahiruddin ◽  
Abhay Gaidhane ◽  
Sunanda Shrikhande

India is a country of 1.32 billion. The World Health Organization recommends, one doctor to serve 1,000 people, across all levels of care. This implies, we need a total of 1.2 million doctors to serve our population. India plans to establish 200 new medical colleges in the next 10 years to meet a projected shortage of 600,000 doctors. However, the information available on allopathic doctors have largely been fragmented and unreliable. A comprehensive search was undertaken to find out the estimates, norms and projections for allopathic doctors provided by the various health committees and experts in India. The Bhore, Sokhey & Mudaliar Committees, Five-year Planning Commission Reports, MCI Vision 2015 document and High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) report on Universal Health Coverage in have yielded estimates, norms and projections for allopathic doctors. The targeted doctor population ratio of 1:1000 could be achieved by 2027 as per HLEG and by 2031 as per MCI Vision 2015. This study emphasizes the estimates and norms of doctors as reported by the Government and allied agencies need strengthening for comprehensiveness and reliability to report information on the allopathic doctors. An important recommendation for the state professional councils is to maintain a live register of health workers.


Author(s):  
Roger Magnusson

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are responsible for around 70 percent of global deaths each year. This chapter describes how NCDs have become prevalent and critically evaluates global efforts to address NCDs and their risk factors, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) system. It explores the factors that have prevented those addressing NCDs from achieving access to resources and a priority commensurate with their impact on people’s lives. The chapter evaluates the global response to NCDs both prior to and since the UN High-Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, held in 2011, and considers opportunities for strengthening that response in future.


Author(s):  
Van-Hao Duong ◽  
Thanh-Duong Nguyen ◽  
Miklos Hegedus ◽  
Erika Kocsis ◽  
Tibor Kovacs

The determination of natural radionuclide concentrations plays an important role for assuring public health and in the estimation of the radiological hazards. This is especially true for high level radiation areas. In this study, 226Ra, 228Ra and 238U concentrations were measured in well waters surrounding eight of the high-level natural radiation areas in northern Vietnam. The 226Ra, 228Ra and 238U activity concentrations vary from <1.2 × 10−3–2.7 (0.46), <2.6 × 10−3–0.43 (0.07) and <38 × 10−3–5.32 Bq/L (0.50 of median), respectively. 226Ra and 238U isotopes in most areas are in equilibrium, except for the DT-Thai Nguyen area. The calculated radiological hazard indices are generally higher than WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations. Average annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk values due to drinking well water range from to 130 to 540 μSv/year and 7.4 × 10−6 to 3.1 × 10−5, respectively.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Cozzolino ◽  
Ferruccio Conte ◽  
Fulvia Zappulo ◽  
Paola Ciceri ◽  
Andrea Galassi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The novel coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2 has been declared a pandemic on March 2020, by the World Health Organization. Older individuals and patients with comorbid conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and immunologic diseases are at higher risk of contracting this severe infection. In particular, patients with advanced CKD constitute a vulnerable population and a challenge in the prevention and control of the disease. Home-based renal replacement therapies offer opportunity to manage patients remotely, thus reducing the likelihood of infection due to direct human interaction. Patients are seen less frequently, limiting the close interaction between patients and healthcare workers who may contract and spread the disease. On the other hand, while home dialysis is reasonable selection at his time due to the advantage of isolation of patients, measures must be assured to implement the program. Despite its logistical benefits, outpatient hemodialysis also presents certain challenges during times of crises such as COVID 19 pandemic and potentially future ones.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-49
Author(s):  
Rochany Septiyaningsih ◽  
Dhiah Dwi Kusumawati ◽  
Frisca Dewi Yunadi ◽  
Septiana Indratmoko

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that maternal mortality worldwide due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth in 2017 is estimated at around 810 cases. Between 2000 and 2017 there was a decline in the ratio of MMR around the world by 38%. WHO also states that 94% of global maternal deaths occur in low and middle income countries. In Indonesia, maternal deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth every year are estimated at 20,000 mothers died from five million births. Delivery assistance by trained health workers in health facilities can be an effort to reduce MMR and IMR. In addition, awareness of pregnant women is also important for the importance of having a pregnancy with a health worker. This community service aims to increase the knowledge of pregnant women about anemia and to detect early pregnancy complications by laboratory examinations. The target of this activity is 15 pregnant women. The dedication activity is conducting educational activities, laboratory examinations in Tambakreja Village, Cilacap Regency. Based on the results of this activity it was concluded that there was an increase in knowledge of pregnant women about anemia and found 2 pregnant women experiencing anemia from 15 pregnant women and urine examination found all negative pregnant women


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Edjophe Arute ◽  
Valentine Uche Odili

Background: The world health organization (WHO) estimates that every 45 seconds an African child dies of malaria while several others lay ill. Also, studies have shown that home-based management of malaria could improve prompt access to antimalarial medications for African children. Objective: This study aimed at assessing the home based management practices among care givers of children below five years in Delta State. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey used to assess the home based management practices of malaria in children under age five. 459 consenting Caregivers of children under five (6 to 59 months) were purposively selected from different churches during Sundays and Wednesdays midweek services through balloting from two communities in Central and North Senatorial Districts of Delta State (Oghara and Obiaruku). Prior to the commencement of the study, the caregivers were thoroughly counselled on the objectives of the study, and a pretested structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used for administration in English, Urhobo and Ukwuani languages. Results: The study revealed that 86.93% respondents have good knowledge of malaria, and 60% commenced treatment within 24hrs. It also showed that 58.4% preferred anti-malarial combination therapies with arthemether-lumefantrine combination accounting for 34.0% drug options. Drug sources for home based malaria management were mainly from Pharmacy 40.5%, Drug sellers such as chemist 55.1% while information sources on choice of therapy and dosage were mainly from chemist 32.7%; health personnel 25.7%; neighbours 7.5% and self-based on previous experience 36.6%. Conclusion: The study revealed very good knowledge of malaria and good management practices as well as good treatment seeking behaviours amongst the caregivers.


Author(s):  
  Dr. Sandeep Kale ◽  
Dr. Govind Khati ◽  
Dr. Pornima Kale ◽  
Dr. Santosh Girbide ◽  
Dr. Milind Kamble

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