An action plan to prevent brain drain : building equitable health systems in Africa

The severe shortage of health professionals in Africa is a huge barrier to expanding AIDS treatment and care and other health goals. African countries, donor governments, and international institutions must link their responses to AIDS to a broader initiative to build equitable health systems in Africa, with special attention to strengthening human resources and ensuring the right to health care for all. This report provides an action plan for preventing the 'brain drain' of skilled health workers to developed countries. It addresses issues around building equitable health systems by offering a series of recommendations to meet people's health care needs by paying more attention to human resources. These proposals include improvements in health infrastructure, higher salaries and benefits for health workers, enhanced investment in training institutions, reduced recruitment by wealthy nations and capacity-building for human resources management