Where Will Nursing Take You?

Rosalinda E. B. Milla, MDProfessor and Dean

College of Arts and SciencesUnited States University

A Universal Truth:

No Health without a Workforce

An area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. It emphasizes transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions , involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences, and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration.

Global Health

Facts on Health Workforce Crisis

WHO

Health workers are people whose main activities enhance health. They include health care providers and people who manage and support delivery systems. Worldwide, there are 59.8 million health workers. Without them, prevention and treatment of disease and advances in health care would not reach those in need.

Fact

In 2006, WHO stated that a country with less than 23 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10 000 people is undergoing a critical health worker shortage. This is the case in 57 countries (36 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa).

Fact

The global health worker shortfall is over 4.2 million, with 1 million health workers needed for Africa alone.

Fact 3

Density of nursing and midwifery personnel (total

number per 1000 population, latest available year)

Situation and trends

40.7% of WHO Member States report to have less than 2 nursing and midwifery personnel per 1000 population (26.8% report to have less than 1)

United States of America: 9.815 Canada: 9.288 Philippines : 6.0 China: 1.512 India: 1.711 Mexico: 2.529 South Africa: 4.9

Density of nursing and midwifery personnel(total number per 1000) population

Training a nurse takes at least three years; training a doctor can take more than six. If action to expand the health workforce is taken now, effects will only begin to be felt years later. Innovative methods (distance learning, task shifting or community health worker programs) can shorten this delay effect, but there is no "quick fix" to this problem.

Fact

Health worker migration is increasing due to disparities in working conditions, wages and career opportunities. One in four doctors and one in 20 nurses trained in Africa later migrate to work in more developed countries. In Africa and some Asian countries, a public sector physician's monthly wage can be less than US$ 100; in higher resource countries, monthly salaries can exceed US$ 14 000.

Fact

WHO estimates that a rapid health workforce scale-up by 2015 would cost US$ 447 million on average per country per year. WHO advocates for 25% of the US$ 12 billion (2004 figure) devoted to international health aid to be spent on the health workforce.

Fact

The health workforce issue crosses many sectors – no single entity can successfully address it on its own. The Global Health Workforce Alliance has brought together a coalition of health leaders, civil society and workers to explore solutions to this crisis at the first Global Forum on Human Resources for Health in Kampala, Uganda in March 2008.

Fact

Thank you/Spasiba!