Environmental and Public Health Workers

The shortage of trained health professionals is among the main obstacles to strengthening low-income countries health systems and to scaling up HIV/AIDS control efforts. Traditional health practitioners are increasingly depicted as key resources to HIV/AIDS prevention and care. An appropriate and effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis requires reconsideration of the collaboration between traditional and biomedical health providers (THPs and BHPs). The aim of this paper is to explore biomedical and traditional health practitioners experiences of and attitudes towards collaboration and to identify obstacles and potential opportunities for them to collaborate regarding care for patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. [author’s description]

This document describes a methodology for planning of human resources development in environmental and occupational health which was field-tested in Cuba, Mexico and South Africa between 1994 and 1996. In addition to outlining the rationale for such planning and the recommended steps in the planning process, the country case studies are discussed in detail with a focus on the ingredients for successful implementation in future. [author’s description]

A number of missions were carried by WHO during 1995 in the central Asian republics (CAR) to investigate the status of staffing and training in environmental health services in these countries. As a follow-up to these missions, a workshop on staffing, professional education and training needs in environmental health services for the CAR was held in Bishkek. This workshop explored issues relating to the development of environmental health services on which the CAR could collaborate on professional education research and common international issues. Participants made recommendations for future collaboration in developing the professional and institutional capacities of environmental health services in the CAR.