The need for innovative approaches to medical education - Health[e ...

The need for innovative approaches
to medical education
Joep M.A. Lange
Center for Poverty-related Communicable Diseases
&
PharmAccess Foundation
Academic Medical Center / University of Amsterdam

World Health Report 2006

Global health work force
(density per 1000 population)
Africa 2.3
Europe 18.9
Americas 24.8
There are currently 57 countries with critical shortages* of hcw, equivalent
to a global deficit of 2.4 million doctors, midwives and nurses.
*Based on hcw density needed to have 80% coverage of births by skilled birth
attendants (approx. 2.5)

Reasons for health work force shortages
sub-Saharan Africa
Insufficient training opportunities
Attrition due to illness/death (HIV/AIDS)
Migration:
- rural -> urban
- within Africa
- from Africa to Europe, North America

How to combat health work force shortages
sub-Saharan Africa
Extend educational opportunities
Train the trainers
Task shifting
Create satisfactory job opportunities

The AIDS response did create islands of sufficiency in a
swamp of insufficiency (Gorik Ooms, ITG)