[afro-nets] The dynamics of the health labour market

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

The dynamics of the health labour market
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Marko Vujicic, Human Development Network, The World Bank,
Washington, USA
Pascal Zurn, Department of Human Resources for Health, World
Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

The International Journal of Health Planning and Management
Volume 21, Issue 2 , Pages 101-115, 2006

Abstract:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112652606/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

"...One of the most important components of health care systems
is human resources for health (HRH) - the people that deliver
the services. One key challenge facing policy makers is to
ensure that health care systems have sufficient HRH capacity to
deliver services that improve or maintain population health.

In a predominantly public system, this involves policy makers
assessing the health care needs of the population, deriving the
HRH requirements to meet those needs, and putting policies in
place that move the current HRH employment level, skill mix,
geographic distribution and productivity towards the desired
level.

This last step relies on understanding the labour market
dynamics of the health care sector, specifically the
determinants of labour demand and labour supply. We argue that
traditional HRH policy in developing countries has focussed on
determining the human resources for health HRH requirements to
address population needs and has largely ignored the labour
market dynamics aspect.

This is one of the reasons that human resources for health HRH
policies often do not achieve their objectives. We argue for the
need to incorporate more explicitly the behaviour of those who
supply labour - doctors, nurses and other providers - those who
demand labour, and how these actors respond to incentives when
formulating health workforce policy. ..."
Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

To receive a copy of this article please contact:
Marko Vujicic
Economist, Human Development Network, The World Bank
1818 H St NW (Mail Stop G7-042)  Washington DC USA 20433
Tel: +1-202-473-6464
Fax: +1-202-522-3489
mailto:mvujicic@worldbank.org