[Press-releases] SPC Press Release: New solution on the horizon for health workers shortage in the Pacific

[Nicole Gooch]

SPC press release

 

New solution on the horizon for health workers shortage in the Pacific 

 

Wednesday 15 November 2006, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC),
36th Committee of Representatives of the Governments and Administrations
(CRGA) - In light of SPC's commitment to provide solutions to challenges
in the region, CRGA 36 today commended the joint effort of the World
Health Organization (WHO) and SPC in the development of a draft "Code of
Practice" for recruitment of health workers in the Pacific region. The
Draft Code of Practice will be presented to the Pacific Ministers of
Health meeting in Vanuatu in March 2007 for their approval. 

 

"The decision to develop such a code of practice was made by Pacific
Health Ministers in March 2005 in Apia. The code will provide a
mechanism to facilitate bilateral recruitment of health workers within a
framework based on mutuality of benefits, transparency and fairness for
all involved," said Dr Juliet Fleischl, Technical Officer, Human
Resources and Health Systems for WHO. 

 

Across the world, there is a shortage of 4.3 million health workers, be
it doctors, nurses or mid-wifes. In the Pacific, this shortage is
however inequitable across the region, with some Pacific Island
countries and territories (PICTs) experiencing far greater shortages
than others.

 

"Individual countries, from both within and beyond the region have
systematically recruited health workers in efforts to address their own
workforce problems. This has had a negative impact on the health systems
of some PICTs," said Dr Fleischl. 

 

"The Regional Code of Practice for the recruitment of health workers,
once approved by the Ministers of Health of the Pacific, will provide a
mechanism that will assist PICTs to better manage their health
workforces' dynamics since it relates to international migration," said
SPC Director-General Dr Jimmie Rodgers. 

 

For more information, contact Nicole Gooch, HIV & STI Communications
Officer, SPC, via email: NicoleG at spc.int or by phone: +687 26 67 71 

Papers of the meeting are available on SPC's website: www.spc.int
<BLOCKED::http://www.spc.int/> .

 

SPC member countries and territories: American Samoa, Australia, Cook
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji Islands, France, French
Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New
Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea,
Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, United
States of America, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.spc.int/pipermail/press-releases_lists.spc.int/attachments/20061115/a63566bb/attachment-0002.html>