More than 160 public health officials,
representatives of intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, the
private sector and civil society from 63 countries called for more
investment in human resource development at a two-day IOM seminar
in Geneva last week.

Topics discussed at the seminar, which was
organized in cooperation with the WHO and ILO, included the
mobility of health-care workers from the perspectives of countries
of origin and destination, migrants, professional associations and
businesses, policy approaches and innovative solutions, in
particular partnerships and the engagement of the private
sector.

Dr. Danielle Grondin, Director of IOM's
Migration and Health Department told participants: "International
migration of health human resources is not a good or bad thing per
se. Its effects depend on the policies and flanking measures put in
place to guarantee equity, access and quality of services in
accordance with the particular national situation."

Delegates discussed the global shortage of
health care workers and their unequal distribution, partly as a
result of internal, regional or international migration. The
resulting brain-drain often undermines health care capacity in
countries where it is most needed.

Policy options aimed at preventing or
counteracting brain drain include retention of workers through
improved working conditions and remuneration and migration
management. Participants agreed that comprehensive, incentive-based
approaches to human resource development in the health sector are
needed in countries of both origin and destination.

Retaining health care workers in sending
countries means addressing factors that often push them to leave,
including difficult working conditions, low salaries, excessive
workloads, and lack of career prospects or training
opportunities.

Destination countries should also address pull
factors, especially the promotion and enforcement of ethical
recruitment practices. They also need to better anticipate their
needs for skilled labour and plan their human resource development
policies and programmes.

The seminar also discussed promoting the
voluntary return of migrant health workers to their countries of
origin so they can transfer knowledge, skills and technology,
replacing "brain drain" with "brain circulation."

For more details on the seminar and background
documents, please visit: "http://www.iom.int/en/know/idm/mhr_2324032006.shtml" target=
"_blank" title=
"">http://www.iom.int/en/know/idm/mhr_2324032006.shtml