Sommaire: EU Commission presents Strategy to help Developing Countries end Health Workers Shortage (14 December 2005: Brussels)
FR - DE
The Commission has adopted a strategy to combat the shortage of doctors and nurses, which has reached a crisis level in African countries most highly affected by AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This strategy comes fast on the heals of the European Union agreement on a Consensus on Development Policy and on a Strategy for Africa, where the Commission proposes coordinated action of the European Union to assist developing countries in building up viable health systems. With today's communication,
the Commission proposes the EU a coherent and coordinated response to a major barrier in the fight for better health in developing countries and shows once more its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In presenting the Communication, Commissioner Louis Michel said: "With this strategy the Commission puts its finger on a critical issue: the public health situation in many developing countries is outrageous. In many regions in Africa, a whole generation is at risk because of AIDS. They need well-trained, equipped and motivated doctors and nurses. The Commission calls on the EU to act jointly and quickly."
The reasons for the human resource crisis in the health systems in many developing countries are complex: Years of chronic under-investment in health services and training of personnel and the lack of even basic equipment and drugs have lead to a demoralisation of personnel and a dramatic deterioration of health services. In addition, many health workers have left rural and remote areas and moved to urban centres and abroad where conditions are better. As a result of the AIDS pandemic, TB and
malaria and lack of access to health care, life expectancy has declined in 17 African countries during the last 25 years. With 25% of the global disease burden at a share of only 10% of the world's population, Africa is ill equipped to deal with this challenge with just 0.8 health workers per 1000 head of population, the figure for Europe in comparison is 10.3 per 1000.
The Commission's strategy also acts against the migration of health workers from the developing to the developed world. The Commission proposes a set of actions to keep health workers where they are needed most such as retention schemes, incentives to work in rural areas and support for training and career development. These schemes will improve the quality of the working environment and strengthen the overall health systems and thus act as an incentive for doctors and nurses to take up a local
job.
Direct investment into the health sectors of developing countries through budgetary support as proposed by the Commission is another effective means to prevent unwanted migration. Such funds do not only increase ownership and responsibility of developing countries administrations' to respond to the crisis and improve coordination and predictability of funding, they can, for example, also improve local salary conditions and therefore provide an additional incentive to stay. However, benefits of
managed migration for both sides should not be ignored.
Commenting on the migration of health workers from developing countries to some EU Member States, Commissioner Louis Michel noted that "well managed migration can be beneficial both to the EU and to the countries of origin as it promotes brain circulation, rather than brain drain." Using training and work opportunities abroad in the framework of specific programmes can help transfer skills and build capacity without draining poor countries of essential human resources.
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