Abstract
Human resources for health have been recognized as essential to the development of responsive and effective health systems. Low- and middle-income countries seeking to achieve universal health coverage face human resource constraints - whether in the form of health worker shortages, maldistribution of workers or poor worker performance - that seriously undermine their ability to achieve well-functioning health systems. Although much has been written about the human resource crisis in the health sector, labour economic frameworks have seldom been applied to analyse the situation and little is known or understood about the operation of labour markets in low- and middle-income countries. Traditional approaches to addressing human resource constraints have focused on workforce planning: estimating health workforce requirements based on a country's epidemiological and demographic profile and scaling up education and training capacities to narrow the gap between the "needed" number of health workers and the existing number. However, this approach neglects other important factors that influence human resource capacity, including labour market dynamics and the behavioural responses and preferences of the health workers themselves. This paper describes how labour market analysis can contribute to a better understanding of the factors behind human resource constraints in the health sector and to a more effective design of policies and interventions to address them. The premise is that a better understanding of the impact of health policies on health labour markets, and subsequently on the employment conditions of health workers, would be helpful in identifying an effective strategy towards the progressive attainment of universal health coverage.
Highlights
Human resources for health have been recognized as essential to the development of responsive and effective health systems
Traditional approaches to resolving human resource constraints in the health sector have relied primarily on workforce planning, i.e. the practice of estimating health workforce requirements based on a country’s epidemiological and demographic profile and of scaling up education and training capacities to narrow the gap between the existing number of health workers and the number required
We have described how labour market analysis can enhance our understanding of the factors that constrain human resources for health and result in more effective policies and interventions to address these
Summary
Human resources for health are central to any health system insofar as health workers perform or mediate most health system functions. Sometimes a paradoxical situation arises: vacancies in high-priority positions in the public sector coexist with high unemployment rates among health workers This paradox is explained by the labour market failure to match the supply and demand for health workers. Several African countries (e.g. Kenya, Mali and Senegal) are experiencing acute under-employment among doctors and nurses, yet they are simultaneously investing substantial public funds in producing more health workers This worsens underemployment and reduces the efficiency of government expenditures. When health workers are officially assigned to a remote rural area, they often find unofficial ways to evade the assignment and find employment in an urban area These examples highlight the inadequacy of a human resource strategy focused exclusively on the needs-based production of health workers.[3]. Policy & practice Health labour market analysis for universal health coverage interventions tailored to different labour market conditions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
