[afro-nets] 'Brain Drain' and Health Professionals

[Fiorenza Monticelli <fiorenza@hst.org.za>]

'Brain Drain' and Health Professionals
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Why are health professionals leaving southern Africa?
What's the solution?

Many studies have identified the "brain drain" of health profes-
sionals from Sub-Saharan Africa as one of the most serious prob-
lems confronting health systems in the region. Human Resources
for Health is one of the major theme areas of work for the Net-
work on Equity in Health in Southern Africa (EQUINET;
http://www.equinetafrica.org). In collaboration with EQUINET,
and the theme co-ordinator, the Health Systems Trust (HST), a
team of Canadian researchers has begun a study of Canada and the
'brain drain' of health professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa,
funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Canada's
national health research granting agency).

One component of this project will involve focus groups held
during a series of major meetings on health policy in Durban,
South Africa, June 8-14. These include the annual meeting of the
International Society for Equity in Health, as well as workshops
being held by EQUINET and the Global Equity Gauge Alliance.

We are inviting health professionals to participate in one of
these focus groups.

If you are a health professional who now works in sub-Saharan
Africa, we are interested in learning about why you have stayed
in the region, and what would make you (and others) consider
leaving or decide to leave.

If you are a health professional who has left the region to work
elsewhere, we are interested in learning about why you left, and
what would make you (and others) consider returning to the re-
gion. We are also interested in learning about what Canada and
other industrialized countries might do about the 'brain drain'
and its effects.

These focus groups will last from 60-90 minutes. We will be tap-
ing and transcribing the focus groups, but no information that
you provide will be used in a way that could identify any par-
ticipants. Before the groups begin, we will be asking all par-
ticipants to sign a consent form indicating that their partici-
pation has been informed and voluntary; as soon as you contact
us, we will send you a copy of this form, which provides addi-
tional detail about how we will be protecting and using the
data; the form is also posted on the HST Website at
ftp://ftp.hst.org.za/pubs/hrh_consentform.doc. We will also be
providing copies of the transcript to participants for elabora-
tion and correction.

If you are interested in participating in one of these focus
groups, or if you would like more information, please contact
Ted Schreker, indicating the country you now work in, as well as
your profession (e.g. physician, nurse). Closer to the dates of
the meetings, a research assistant from HST will be in touch to
arrange scheduling.

With thanks,

Ted Schrecker, Research Associate
Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit
University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Fax: +1-306-966-7920
mailto:schrecker@usask.ca