Abstract
IntroductionThe West African health sector is characterized by a human resource base lacking in numbers and specialized skills. Among the contributory factors to this lack of human resource for health workforce include but not limited to the migration of health professionals.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey targeted 118 young professionals who have participated in the Young Professional Internship Program (YPIP) of the West African Health Organization (WAHO), from (2005-2013). It inquired about their socio-demographic characteristics associated with migration and reasons for going to their preferred or most likely destinations through online survey.ResultsOf the 118 young professionals, 100 responded to the online survey, of which (28%) have migrated and (72%) did not migrate. Migration was more common among males and those (age≤31 years old), single with high dependency level and no previous work experience. Having a medical profession and being posted to urban or semi-urban area was also associated with their emigration. Their most important reasons for going to preferred or most likely destinations were to have fair level of workload, job promotion and limited occupational risks.ConclusionThis finding suggests that the migration of health professionals is situation dependent, mediated by basic socio-demographic variables and work related conditions. These issues have implications for curbing the brain drain potential of health professionals in the West African health sector.
Highlights
The West African health sector is characterized by a human resource base lacking in numbers and specialized skills
This study is based on the Young Professional Internship Program (YPIP) of the West African Health Organization (WAHO)
This study aims to examine whether socio-demographic characteristics such as sex, age, marital status, dependency level, professional occupation, work experience and region will make important difference in the migration of health professionals who have participated to the program
Summary
The West African health sector is characterized by a human resource base lacking in numbers and specialized skills. Political instability [7] and other personal related factors such as perceived social status and lifestyle [8], as well as the prevalence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS [3] have been documented Many of these studies have accurately identified the factors influencing the migration of health professionals; they have been largely anecdotal and provide little information about the mediating role of demographic variables such as age, gender, profession, marital status and household dependency level. It was developed in 2005 by WAHO and its partners in recognition of the lack of adequate human resource for health in West Africa, with the primary objective of providing young professionals with knowledge, practical skills and experience for sustainable management of health issues in West Africa [1] It includes basic training in management and principles of public health, language (English and French), and information communication technology. The study investigates some of the most important reasons for going to their preferred or most likely destinations
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