HRH Interventions

This paper summarizes the importance of improving maternal and reproductive health, the progress made to date and lessons learned, and the major challenges confronting programs today. The paper highlights the progress that some countries, including very poor ones, have made in reducing maternal mortality, but cautions that progress in many countries remains slow. Relying on evidence from the most recent research and survey information, the paper also analyzes the key determinants and evidence on effective interventions for attaining the maternal health MDG. [from abstract]


Section 3 dis

When GHARP set out to recruit new service providers [for preventing mother-to-child transmission], it faced a dilemma. Due to the limited supply of health workers in Guyana, the project needed to avoid recruiting health care providers already working for the MOH. Hiring existing health workers away from their jobs would simple reshuffle the distribution of health workers, rather than add new ones. To address the problem, GHARP staff decided to recruit retired nurses to fill the positions. [from author’s description]

This report discusses the impacts of malaria on business. It reviews the academic literature on the impacts of malaria on economies and businesses, presents data from survey on the business impacts of malaria, discusses the actions the private sector can take to combat malaria, and reviews examples of business malaria programs. The final section makes some recommendations for businesses considering engagement in malaria control. [adapted from author]

This paper, which was prepared as background for the Working Group on Performance Based Incentives, looks at a particular type of financing intervention that has been applied in several different ways around the world to address the joint problems of underutilization and low quality of health services. The focus is on demand- and supply-side financial and material (examples: food, travel vouchers) incentives that can be used to improve utilization and quality of ambulatory health care services, especially for the poor. [from introduction]

This research brief presents results from a cost analysis of an adolescent reproductive health intervention that found that using community health workers was less expensive than using doctors for provision of reproductive health services to young women. [from publisher]

This article examines one new element of non-government provision in Tanzania: small-scale independent midwifery practices. Because of their location and emphasis on personalized care, small-scale independent practices run by retired midwives could potentially increase rates of skilled attendance at delivery at peripheral level. [from author]

This article summarizes and comments on the available literature on the effectiveness of intrventions designed to change [health worker] professional behaviour in order to bring evidence into practice in developing countries. [from abstract]

Since 2000, [National Health Service] NHS workforce policy has focused on increasing the size of the health care workforce. However, as financial investment in the NHS slows down, expanding capacity by simply increasing workforce numbers is no longer viable. Instead, alternative approaches are needed to develop a sustainable workforce that is flexible enough in its work practices to manage the complex changes facing the NHS. ‘Grow-your-own’ workforce approaches have the potential to address some of these challenges. Drawing on the experiences of London NHS organisations, this paper explores the conditions required to embed grow-your-own approaches into mainstream NHS workforce development. [publisher’s description]

Abstract
This Guide is meant to assist members of Country Coordinating Mechanisms and other individuals and organizations involved in preparing proposals, or providing input into these proposals, for Round 6 of the Blobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The next-to-last section, which provides some models of successful human resources for health initiatives, may also be useful to individuals and organizations involved in work on human resource and health system strengthening.

This document evaluates the expected change in the reproductive preferences of women due to the presence of volunteers and community health workers providing health service delivery in the communities through the Community Health and Family Planning project. In the communities where there is intervention, women seem to show that their fertility preferences are generally shifting towards small family sizes although the fertility levels are still high. [adapted from author]

This report explores potential strategies for mobilizing U.S. health personnel and technical experts to assist in the battle against HIV/AIDS in 15 African, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian countries highly affected by the disease. Commissioned by the U.S. Department of State as part of a historic global health initiative—the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)—the report presents the results of a study conducted by the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on the Options for Overseas Placement of U.S. Health Professionals. [Description from author]

Note: Online book

Recent studies have shown evidence of a direct and positive causal link between the number of health workers and health outcomes. Several studies have identified an adequate health workforce as one of the key ingredients to achieving improved health outcomes. This article explores how the Global Fund addresses the challenges of a health workforce bottleneck to the successful implementation of priority disease programmes. [abstract]

South African citizens have experienced many inequalities and these have extended to the health care setting. one of the major challenges that needs to be addressed is the accessibility and availability of health care and specialized medical services in rural areas in South Africa. Telemedicine is a potential solution to address some of the challenges within health care in a developing country like South Africa. This article looks at the experiences of developing and implementing a telemedicine solution. [abstract]

In recent years, a number of specific strategies for improving health services and strengthening health systems have been consistently advocated. In order to advise governments, WHO commissioned this exploratory study to examine more closely the track record of these strategies in twelve low-income countries. [author’s description]

This paper aims to summarize strategies to solve inequitable distribution of human resources for health (HRH) between urban and rural areas, by using four decades of experience in Thailand as a case study for analysis. [from abstract]

This issue discusses palliative care services including articles about a successful project in Uganda and embedding palliative care into government health policy and practice.

This report describes global progress on the “3 by 5” (Treating 3 million by 2005: making it happen) project in scaling up access to [HIV/AIDS] antiretroviral therapy and outlines the areas in which important progress has been made and lessons learned. It also outlines the remaining challenges and roadblocks to treatment access. [author’s description]

Chapter 2 (Strengthening Health Systems) provides an overview of HRH related approaches and progress.

This presentation was part of the ECSA 38th Regional Health Ministers’ Conference. It gives the background of the health care issues and indicators and discusses the programs and HRH interventions Zambia has used to address them

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The Institute of Health Management Research conceived an operational research project to develop and test key management interventions in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the district health system and services at the district level. [from author]

Developing countries have lost thousands of skilled health care workers to developed countries. One way to redress this imbalance is to develop innovative methods for training and developing the skills of health care staff in developing countries. Volunteers from developed countries can help to train and motivate health care workers who remain. They are also important in emergencies and in filling vacant posts. [author’s description]

Chapter 1 of this document describes the environment that affects the health workforce. Chapter 2 presents an overview of what lessons can be learned from priority programmes that have already struggled with the consequences of HRH limitations. Chapter 3 discusses possible strategies that can help to overcome HRH constraints. The last chapter proposes an agenda for action. [Adapted from authors]