Managing the Impact of HIVAIDS on Health Human Resources

"Many of the health personnel are burnt out because of work overload, thereby compromising the quality of health care."

Developing a human resource management strategy framework to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on public sector human resources was the central focus of a meeting on 'Managing the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Health Human Resources' for Commonwealth West African countries held in Accra, Ghana, from 16 to 18 October 2005.

Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the meeting was attended by HIV/AIDS specialists, planners and researchers from Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as various international organisations.

The forum disseminated information on tools, models and systems currently in use to measure and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on health workers, through strengthening and developing the capacity of the public service.

Participants at the meeting discussed challenges in developing and implementing a short-term 'country-specific action plan' for the worst affected and most vulnerable states in the West African region.

Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, President of the Commonwealth Medical Association and Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Ghana, said the major problem in the health sector in many countries is the dwindling number of skilled people. He added that in most districts in Africa one person may double as the Medical Superintendent of the district hospital and as the District Director of Health Services responsible for the health of over 100,000 people.

"Many of the health personnel are burnt out because of work overload, thereby compromising the quality of health care. The HIV/AIDS situation is compounding the attrition of health human resources," Professor Akosa stated.

In her keynote address, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Gladys Ashitey, said: "HIV/AIDS has altered organisations' operating environment through increased absenteeism, retirement on medical grounds, frequent replacement of the dead, numerous funerals leading to increasing costs, and inability to achieve service delivery coverage."

Dr Ashitey urged the participants to address systemic health service challenges, such as strengthening human resource information systems, and to use HIV/AIDS programmes as an entry point to strengthen the health system as a whole.

At the end of the meeting participants drew up short-term, practical action plans for their specific countries.

Also present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Health of Nigeria, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, the International Labour Organisation's Director for HIV/AIDS, and representatives from the World Health Organisation and West African Health Organisation.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 259, 2 November 2005

Key Links:

• Health
• HIV/AIDS