Health Manpower Training Research Articles

Improving national pharmaceutical supply management in Liberia through strengthening the training of pharmacists

Background Under the Global Fund round 8 Grant, the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) received funding for Health Systems Strengthening (HSS). This grant sought to contribute to scaling-up efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and related diseases. The overall goal was to address the health manpower needs at all levels of the healthcare delivery system with improving the quality of curricula for the training of health manpower and standardizing it to conform to international standards as one of the objectives. As a sub-recipient to this grant Pharmaceutical Systems Africa (PSA) worked with local partners to develop a new curriculum for pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy in Liberia and to employ key staff for the School of Pharmacy.

Role of International Labour Organization (ILO) and World Health Organization (WHO) in the Protection and Promotion of Occupational Health and Safety

About 45 percent of the world's population and 58 percent of the population over 10 years of age are part of the global workforce. Occupational health and safety of working population are fundamental prerequisites for improving worker and organizational productivity, and are highly important for overall socio-economic and sustainable development. Occupational health and safety hazards are common in many economic sectors and affect large number of workers. Many individuals spend one-third of their adult life in such hazardous work environments. At the international level International Labour Organization (ILO) and World Health Organization (WHO), the two specialized agencies of the United Nations, are immensely contributing to occupational health and safety. The main focus of ILO activity has been on the provision of international guidelines and a legal framework for the development of occupational health policies and infrastructures on a tripartite basis (including governments, employers and workers) and the practical support for improvement actions at the workplace, while the WHO has concentrated on the provision of scientific backgrounds, methodologies, technical support and on the training of health and related manpower for occupational health.

Health manpower development in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Background:Health manpower is one of the critical factors in the development of a region. This is because health is an index of development. Bayelsa State has a low level of health manpower. Thus, in this study, we sought to identify factors necessary for effective development of health manpower.Methods:Three methods were used to gather information, ie, face-to-face interviews, postal surveys, and documentary analysis. Critical incidents were identified, and content and thematic analyses were conducted.Results:There is no full complement of a primary health care workforce in any of the health centers in the state. The three health manpower training institutions have the limitations of inadequate health care educators and other manpower training facilities, including lack of a teaching hospital.Conclusion:Accreditation of health manpower training institutions is a major factor for effective development of health manpower. Public officers can contribute to the accreditation process by subsuming their personal interest into the state’s common interest. Bayelsa is a fast-growing state and needs a critical mass of health care personnel. To develop this workforce requires a conscious effort rich in common interests in the deployment of resources.

Assessing cold chain status in a metro city of India: an intervention study.

Cold chain maintenance is an essential activity to maintain the potency of vaccines and to prevent adverse events following immunization. One baseline study highlighted the unsatisfactory cold chain status in city of Kolkata in India. To assess the changes which occurred in the cold chain status after the intervention undertaken to improve the status and also to assess the awareness of the cold chain handlers regarding cold chain maintenance. Intervention consisted of reorganization of cold chain points and training of health manpower in Kolkata Municipal area regarding immunization and cold chain following the guidelines as laid by Govt of India. Reevaluation of cold chain status was done at 20 institutions selected by stratified systematic random sampling after the intervention. The results were compared with baseline survey. Significant improvement had been observed in correct placing of cold chain equipment, maintenance of stock security, orderly placing of ice packs, diluents and vaccines inside the equipment, temperature recording and maintenance. But awareness and skill of cold chain handlers regarding basics of cold chain maintenance was not satisfactory. The success of intervention included significant improvement of cold chain status including creation of a designated cold chain handler. The gaps lay in non-availability of non-electrical cold chain equipment and separate cold chain room, policy makers should stress. Cold chain handlers need reorientation training regarding heat & cold sensitive vaccines, preventive maintenance and correct contingency plan.

The Impact of Title VII on General and Pediatric Dental Education and Training

The authors describe the impact of the Title VII, Section 747 Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (Title VII) grant program on the development, growth, and expansion of general and pediatric dentistry residency programs in the United States. They first briefly review the legislative history of the Title VII program as it pertains to dental education, followed by a historical overview of dental education in the United States, including a description of the differences between dental and medical education and the routes to professional practice. The authors then present an extensive assessment of the role of the Title VII grant program in building general and pediatric dental training capacity, diversifying the dental workforce, providing outreach and service to underserved and vulnerable populations, stimulating innovations in dental education, and engaging collaborative and interdisciplinary training with medicine. Finally, the authors call for broadening the scope of the Title VII program to allow for predoctoral training (dental student education) and faculty development in general and pediatric dentistry. In doing so, the Title VII program can more effectively address current and future challenges in dental education, dentist workforce, and disparities in oral health and access to care.This article is part of a theme issue of Academic Medicine on the Title VII health professions training programs.

Development and Evaluation of Internet-based Public Health Manpower Training Program

This study aimed to develop and evaluate health educational information system on internet to train health center workers. Internet-based Public Health Manpower Training Program was developed based on the findings of the needs of health center worker. It consisted of E-mail based on-line lesson. The effects of developed Internet-based Public Health Manpower Training Program were assessed by questionnaires of users about legibility, readability, satisfaction, changes in level of knowledge, and practical uses, etc. Most users (94.3%) of Internet-based Public Health Manpower Training Program reported that they were satisfied with the programs, and 90% of users reported that the programs improved their performance in health education, consultation and medical examination. Knowledge levels of users were elevated after program participation (statistically non significant). Internet-based Public Health Manpower Training Program had positive effects on the performance of health center workers, and we expect this program to help the planning for public health manpower

Socio-cultural information in support of local health planning: conclusions from a survey in rural Kenya.

Existing health information systems in developing countries are managed and used mainly by biomedically trained personnel and by general healthcare administrators. They focus on epidemiology, service utilization and finance; they generate little of the socio-cultural data needed for developing and adjusting health services and disease control programmes to local health-related perceptions, values and resources. This paper reviews some of the published literature on socio-cultural factors related to health and summarizes the findings of a health household interview study in rural Kenya. It concludes that local views on specific disease categories and their causes are crucial for the planning of local disease control and that health information systems need to be expanded to incorporate such data. It discusses methods of generating community-based socio-cultural health information likely to be useful, particularly at district level. Options include observation, household interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Four improvements are suggested: (1) health information systems should be reoriented to focus less on individual patients and clients and more on population-based information including socio-cultural data; (2) post-basic health manpower training is needed in applied health-related social sciences; (3) staff positions for social scientists at central, provincial and district levels of the health sector; and (4) expansion of research on national and local socio-cultural issues of relevance to health and care-seeking behaviour.

A Plea for Health Manpower Training Through Distance Education

To achieve the target of health for all by 2000 AD (HFA/2000), developing countries such as India need a proper perspective to implement health for all through a Primary Health Care approach and must develop a plan to achieve manpower needs. The present health institutional infrastructure is inadequate to meet this requirement.Distance education is a relatively new concept which not only has the ability to train a large number of health care workers in a short time in a cost effective way but can also attend to skills of health care without diluting the quality. The School of Health Sciences, IGNOU, is, at present, working on two health programs for nursing and medical personnel through distance education. Alternate models in distance education could also be envisioned to meet the immediate pressing needs.

The Impact of EEG Technology on Health Manpower

ABSTRACT.The aim of this paper is to illuminate the process by which new technology in the field of electroencephalography has modified health manpower requirements. Specifically, the paper explores 1) the nature and the sequential phases of the process by which technological change creates shifts in the quantity and quality of health manpower employed, and 2) the resulting impacts on health manpower training institutions. A case study research design was developed by applying a process model, conceptualized for this study, which identifies, describes, and analyzes the key technological and manpower changes involved in the historic evolution of EEG technology, using qualitative data from sources in the literature. This study suggests that, as a result of technological change, labor intensiveness has increased over time due to higher levels of expertise requirements and specialization. Labor intensiveness increases are reflected by the larger number of occupations involved in EEG testing, higher investment...

The impact of foundation-funded commissions on health policy.

National task forces, commissions, and other ad hoc advisory bodies-both public and pr ivate-have been a prominent feature of the American political landscape since the turn of the century. However, studies of their impact on public policy are relatively recent and have focused primarily on presidential commissions. Privately sponsored bodies have received considerably less attention. This essay reports on a study we conducted with the support of The Commonwealth Fund to learn more about the impact of foundation-funded commissions on national health policy decisions. The study had two main objectives: (1) to assess the policy impact of one of Commonwealth’s own recent commissions (the Task Force on Academic Health Centers), and (2) to extrapolate from the specific experiences of the task force and a small comparison group of commissions some practical lessons about the composition, conduct, and impact of such bodies. Because the sponsorship and funding of commissions is but one way foundations seek to influence public policy, our study cannot settle broader arguments about the policy role of foundations. It can, however, provide useful information for foundations and other sponsors about the design and management of ad hoc advisory bodies. Study methods. We defined foundation-funded commission as (1) an ad hoc, task-oriented advisory body, (2) sponsored (that is, established) by a foundation or other private institution or organization, and (3) funded by one or more foundations to deliberate and formulate recommendations on an issue of public policy. We excluded from this definition all governmental commissions (for example, all ad hoc advisory bodies established by executive or legislative mandate or regulation), even

Medical manpower in Israel: Political processes and constraints

‘Health manpower development, an interconnected set of activities dealing with planning, production, utilization and support of manpower, transcends all other issues in health development. It is a critical factor for the economic efficiency of the health care system, and an important response mechanism for attaining the goal of health for all through primary health care’ [45]. However, a realistic appraisal indicates that the political reality in most countries has made effective planning in this area rare because of competing interest groups seeking resources and power [31,34]. The Israel case study demonstrates the role of these pressures in determining the training, allocation, utilization and planning of health manpower in a health care system characterized by on-going processes of political compromise among a variety of groups. Perhaps the most distinguishing social facts about Israel are its small size and the heterogeneity of its population. Since its formal establishment in 1948, there has been a constant stream of immigration from a wide variety of countries which has resulted in a mixed ethnic population which is among the most differentiated in the world. In 1985, 40% of the Jewish population was born in other countries, and among the Israel born, only 18.5% are second-generation Israelis. About 18% of the population is not Jewish: 77% of these are Moslems, and the remainder are Christians, Druze and members of other small religious groups. While Israel does not have a nationalized health care system, 94.5% of its population is covered by comprehensive health insurance which includes curative and preventive ambulatory care as well as hospitalization. Regional hospitals are located within no more than 30 kilometers of most communities; primary, curative and preventive services are easily accessible on a neighborhood basis. A strong egalitarian welfare ideology has traditionally provided support for a broad network of health care institutions giving extensive curative and preventive services to the population. Indeed, sensitivity to health needs is widespread in all segments of the population of Israel.

La lutte antituberculeuse dans le monde: stratégies et actions sur le terrain

Tuberculosis will remain one of the main health concerns in the world for the next ten years. Economic crises in the Third World and AIDS epidemics in Africa have contributed to maintain a high level prevalence of tuberculosis in the poorest countries. Failures of tuberculosis control measures are due more often to mistakes in health planning and in health manpower training than to the lack of technologies. Short-course chemotherapy is an important technological achievement for the treatment of tuberculosis, but case holding and case finding are not efficient in several high-prevalence countries. BCG vaccination and chemoprophylaxis, especially in immunodeficient children or adults, need more evaluation studies.

Joint Occupational Health Research and Manpower Training Projects in the Sudan, 1982-1985

I . 3 and diverse. These two sectors constitute the majority of the working population (85%). A recent WHO reZ0 Q port referred to them as the forgotten masses and pointed out the seriousness of the health situation to which they are exposed. Therefore, it is most important that a well organized occupational health research and manpower training program be developed for them. This is the target for which the Joint Project of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) and the Sudanese Society of Preventive and Social Medicine (SSPSM) has tried to achieve meaningful solutions.

Health care for all mothers and infants by 2000 AD.

Although the future health of a nation depends largely on the health care provided for mothers and infants, little emphasis is placed on maternal and child health (MCH) care in the health programs of most countries. In some developing countries up to 70% of women fail to receive any form of health care during pregnancy and childbirth, and the newborns are left to the care of their mothers. Even in developed countries there are pockets of population which remain untouched by such programs. In Singapore, increased literacy, greater health consciousness, and a successful family planning program have contributed to a decline in the crude birth rate from 42.7 to 16.9 between 1967-78 and a decrease in the mean birth order to 1.75. Maternal mortality rates, like infant and perinatal mortality rates, vary widely in different countries and within countries, and leave room for improvement almost everywhere. Childbrith remains the main cause of death in women aged 14-45 years in the developing world, where anemia and intercurrent infections contribute to obstetric complications. Nearly 1 billion people in the developing world are trapped in a vicious circle of poverty, malnutrition, disease and despair. There are 4 major reasons for the failure of countries to provide MCH care: 1) shortage of resources 2) maldistribution of existing manpower 3) poor utilization of existing facilities, and 4) inadequate or inappropriate training of health manpower. Because of perceived health manpower shortages, 493 new medical schools were established throughout the world between 1955-75, 350 of them in developing countries. 608 of the world's 1124 medical schools are now in developing countries, but despite the effort and money invested, the ratio of physicians to population has not imporved significantly and the gross maldistribution of available health personnel within countries continues. The total health manpower available is 1/130 population in developed countries, 1/500 in developing countries, and 1/2400 in the least developed countries. Migration of physicians has aggravated the shortage in some countries. The infant mortality rate in most developing countries ranges from nearly 100 to 200/1000, compared to 10-20 in developed countries. Malnutrition, infectious diseases, and high fertility are 3 major causes of high infant and child mortality. Community participation is crucial if MCH care is to be available to rural communities. Health care should become a part of the total socioeconomic development of a country. All existing health personnel including traditional practitioners should be utilized and, if necessary, retrained. Training should be objective and task of oriented.

A Surplus of Dermatologists

The article by Ramsay et al¹in this issue of theArchivesis most provocative and should stimulate us to examine not only how we arrived at our current level of training of dermatologists but also possible implications of a future surplus of physicians. The causes for the rapid expansion in dermatologic manpower can be traced, in part, to the overall expansion of physician manpower fueled by such initiatives as the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1963, which granted construction funds and capitation support to enlarge class size in the medical schools. The Medicare and Medicaid legislation of 1965 and 1966 provided further impetus to increase the physician supply by stimulating demand for medical care services. The Health Manpower Act of 1968 offered additional construction funds for medical schools in exchange for a further increase in enrollments. The comprehensive Health Manpower Training Act of 1971 and the Health

Cancer in Indonesia

IN A series of government-established five-year plans, Indonesia has addressed the major health problems facing the country. As a result, there have been major advances in the health program over the past decade, including the establishment of hospitals and health centers, development of preventive medicine and disease control services, health education, health manpower training, development of improved water supply and sanitation facilities, and the establishment of some research programs. The priorities in the 1974 plan included ambulatory care, rural health and child health, and family planning services. These have resulted in the establishment of an extensive health care system, with physician staffing of health centers rising to 85.9% and health utilization rising to 75 visits per day. With the reduction in case fatality rate from infectious diseases and a decrease in the infant mortality rate, life expectancy at birth has increased from 41 years in 1969 to an estimated 52

Legal constraints and alternatives in the Veterans Administration.

The Veterans Administration is a federal system that has functioned, so far, independently of state and local laws and rules. The system has proven flexible, however, as it has adjusted to meet needs perceived within its organization where legal justification has been found. The impact of the overall health care system in the United States is beginning to be felt within the Veterans Administration as the possibility of national health insurance implementation may greatly affect the number and kinds of patients seen in the hospitals. Th response of the Veterans Administration system will have to be within its legal framework and an understanding of the relationship between the actual operation of the system and the law will be necessary. More and better understanding of the practical impact of external programs such as comprehensive health planning, manpower training and licensing laws will be necessary for the Veterans Administration to successfully adjust within the United States' health care framework.

Low Cost Rural Health Care and Health Manpower Training

Individuals who are involved in planning, operating, and evaluating outreach health services in developing countries, as well as scientists concerned with related research areas, have long been faced with a bibliographical problem of major proportions. The documents which report activities of the numerous outreach health intervention projects are seldom published in journal form and exist only as reports, working papers, or other poorly disseminated literature. As a complicating factor, such material is often in the languages of the developing world. The proliferation of innovative health programs, and the resultant need to assess their ultimate impact on the health of the world's people, dictates that information generated which is of use to new and emerging projects should be made readily available.Through the mechanism of the publication of these and future abstracted bibliographies the Canadian International Development Research Centre has assumed both a responsibility and an important function in providing an information link to programs in the developing world.

Low-cost rural health care and health manpower training

Low-cost rural health care and health manpower training

Low-Cost Rural Health Care and Health Manpower Training: An Annotated Bibliography with Special Emphasis on Developing Countries, Vol. 3

Low-Cost Rural Health Care and Health Manpower Training: An Annotated Bibliography with Special Emphasis on Developing Countries, Vol. 3