Policy

This paper reviews the magnitude and form of Cuban medical cooperation in the Pacific and analyses its implications for health policy, human resource capacity and overall development assistance for health in the region. [from abstract]

This issue includes articles for FBOs on: making advocacy effective in a contemporary setting; country experiences in human resources for health; role of church health coordinating committees in advocacy; monitoring responsiveness in healthcare centres; and an introduction to monitoring and evaluation. [adapted from author]

This toolkit offers health policy stakeholders and practitioners online access to a growing collection of information about policies and practices that can help enhance the contribution of the private sector to important health goals in developing countries. [from publisher]

This call to action advocates for the recognition of the economic and social value of volunteers in public health disaster situations and the development of policies to protect them.

The objective of this review was to ascertain if priority access to HIV and/or TB services should be provided to health care workers as well as whether workplaces should provide programs reducing stigma and/or discrimination for all health care workers. [from abstract]

The Federal Ministry of Health, recognizing the complementary role of the market based private sector in the provision of quality health services at competitive price especially in the underserved areas, developed this policy document to define the role of private v/s public sector, to institute mechanisms for the regulation of health services delivery, setting up and monitoring of the minimum standards of care, and bring into fold the private sector in reporting within the defined parameters. [from author]

The advocacy strategy was launched to contribute to the overall achievement stronger, more inclusive and accessible health systems. It aims to raise awareness of the critical shortage of human resources for health in developing countries and bring the voices and expertise of health workers to the attention of policy makers to suggest solutions. [adapted from summary]

This document outlines the important role health workers play in areas suffering from severe crises and makes the case for investing in HRH as central to health system recovery and improved health outcomes. [adapted from author]

This article argues that community health workers can connect people to health care and collect information relevant to policy. As a result of direct interaction with the populations they serve, they can recount the realities of exclusion and propose remedies for it, contribute to best practices, and inform public policy. [adapted from abstract]

The Policy Implementation Assessment Tool, user-friendly approach and tool for assessing policy implementation, comprises two interview guides that explore the perspectives of policymakers and program implementers, including community-level health workers, local leaders, and clients. This document provides guidance to help readers adapt the tool to different policies and contexts in their own countries. [adapted from introduction]

The aim of this paper is to demystify policy implementation and provide user-friendly advice on translating policies into action. To do so, the paper presents experiences and lessons learned from the Health Policy Initiative organized around the project’s Policy-to-Action Framework. [from summary]

This paper presents case studies of networks in 11 countries assisted by the POLICY Project to demonstrate how reproductive health advocacy networks were influential actors that played a role in fostering significant policy changes over the past decade. [from summary]

This brief advocates for measures and funding needed from G8 to ensure that the Millenium Development Goals are achieved and that countries can provide comprehensive primary health care for all. [adapted from author]

This paper presents the results of a recent research priority-setting exercise that identified regional policy concerns and research priorities related to health financing, human resources and the non-state sector, based on stakeholders in nine low and middle income countries in the region. The countries included were Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. [adapated from abstract]

This report presents the outcomes and resources from a meeting of health workforce crisis countries including information on the crisis in the differenct countries; interventions, challenges and shortages; and progress on the development of strategic HRH plans for each of the crisis countries. [adapted from author]

This note focuses on the relationship between governance and HRH. It aims to provide an operational definition for governance and an overview of the main aspects related to the role of governance for HRH policy formulation and implementation. [from author]

The authors argue that the influence of governance is undervalued in addressing the HRH crisis, both globally and at country level; and they review a thematic series which aimed to expand the evidence base on the role of governance in addressing the HRH crisis. [adapted from abstract]

This article set out to examine the human resource policy implications of scaling up HIV testing and counselling in Kenya and to analyse the resultant policy against a recognised theoretical framework of health policy reform. [from abstract]

The aims of this policy include: ensuring the appointment of competent and skilled hospital managers; providing for the development of management accountability frameworks; and ensuring the training of managers in leadership, management and governance. [adapated from author]

This paper reports on progress in implementing human resources for health policies in Brazil, in the context of the implementation and expansion of the Unified Health System. [from abstract]

This document outlines the Ministry’s policies regarding the role NGOs play in national health policy and health services, outlines strengths and weaknesses of NGO programs and outlines government standards for integrating and evaluating NGO services. [adapted from author]

This article aims to describe how governance issues have influenced HRH policy development and to identify governance strategies that have been used, successfully or not, to improve HRH policy implementation in low- and middle-income countries. [from introduction]

In order to understand and monitor the progress in developing and implementing HRH policies in the 57 countries experiencing a critical deficit in the health workforce, this tracking survey provides an overview of the current situation in terms of HRH policies, plans, capacities and processes. [from author]

The purpose of this guide is to support the strengthening of existing, or establishing new, human resources for health development departments at the central and subnational levels.

The Peruvian Ministry of Health approved the Policy Guidelines on Human Resources in Health to address important aspects such as training tailored to the needs of the country, development of competencies, decentralized management of human resources, motivation, and commitment. This summary outlines the process of implementing this political and strategic framework for carrying out programs to develop human potential with a competency-based approach. [adapted from author]

This study aimed to identify the human resources for health (HRH) policy concerns and research priorities of key stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries; to assess the extent to which existing HRH research addresses these concerns and priorities; and to develop a prioritized list of core research questions requiring immediate attention to facilitate policy development and implementation. [from abstract]

Studies and field observations have found that community health workers (CHWs) can provide injectables safely and that community access to injectables attracts new contraceptive users. This guide is designed to assist the many health professionals and advocates who are interested in making injectable contraceptives more widely available, especially for women with little or no access to health facilities. The guide describes six steps that advocates can take to support policy change to permit CHWs to provide injectables. [from summary]

This report provides a snapshot of the HRH policy and governance situation in the priority countries affected by severe HRH challenges. A one-page country brief has been prepared for each of the priority countries to give an update on their HRH status and progress. The briefs contain background demographic, health, health system and HRH statistics, as well as scores for responses to a tracking survey. [from author]

The aim of this policy is to promote high standards of practice in the recruitment and employment of health professionals who are not South African Citizens or permanent residents in the health sector in South Africa. It attempts to preclude the active recruitment of health professionals from developing countries without specific government agreements. [adapted from author]

Despite being workers on the front line responding to the public’s HIV and TB care needs, health workers themselves often do not have access to HIV and TB services. These guidelines aim to protect, retain and empower health workers in dealing with the dual threat of HIV and TB and reinforce good practicies for health workers who are living with HIV and/or TB. [adapted from introduction]