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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Health Ministers to Discuss Human Resources for Health

19 May 2006

Promoting human resources for the sustainable health care of Commonwealth citizens will be the focus of discussion at the 2006 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM) to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday, 21 May.

The CHMM, with the theme 'Human Resources for Health', will take place on the eve of the World Health Assembly (WHA). Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Winston Cox, who will open the CHMM, said the health and well-being of citizens is vital for human development and therefore the availability of good health care services is essential.

Citing World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, Mr Cox expressed concern over the global shortage of more than 4 million health professionals. He noted that 1 in 4 African doctors and 1 in 20 African nurses are currently working in developed countries, while the greatest need for their services is in Africa, which bears a quarter of the world's disease burden.

"There can be no health service delivery without trained health professionals," said the Deputy Secretary-General. "They play a critical role in providing essential services for the population and supporting a healthy community, enabling them to achieve their full potential. This bodes well for the health and progress of a nation."

Mr Cox stressed that health care is an important foundation for the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which focus on reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The impact of human resources on health caused by the migratory trends among health workers and the implementation of the Commonwealth Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health Workers will also be examined.

WHO Director-General Dr Lee Jong-wook will also address the CHMM together with WHO Assistant Director-General, Evidence and Information for Policy, Dr Timothy Evans.

Ann Keeling, Director of the Commonwealth Secretariat's Social Transformation Programmes Division, said the disparity between demand and supply of health care needs to addressed before it deteriorates to an even more serious level.

"People in the Commonwealth are dying from preventable causes because they live where there is a shortage of health workers. As the Commonwealth, we are able to think beyond national borders and work collectively to address ethical recruitment, the rights of migrating health workers and capacity-building of vulnerable health care systems to retain workers and use them efficiently."

On Tuesday 23 May, the Deputy Secretary-General will host a reception in honour of HRH The Prince of Wales, the WHA keynote speaker, which will be attended by Commonwealth Health Ministers.

 

Note to Editors:

Commonwealth Health Ministers meet annually in Geneva. This year's meeting will take place at the Ramada Park Hotel on Sunday, 21 May 2006. For further information please contact Daniel Woolford on +44 (0) 20 7747 6514, or (from 20 May) on +44 (0)7730 900 020.

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