This month, PHR is examining the health workers shortage in Africa ahead of the introduction of the Global HEALTH Act, which would provide $2 billion over five years to strengthen the health workforce in developing countries.Today, we want to highlight an organization that is working right now to fill health worker vacancies in rural areas in Southern Africa. If you are a doctor or nurse, Africa Health Placements (AHP) needs your skills to support rural health in South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland—contact them today for more information.Africa Health Placements originated in South Africa and now works in several other countries in the region to increase the public sector health workforce through recruitment from the private sector and through recruiting foreign health workers who are looking for the excellent work experience and unrivalled lifestyle that is offered through such an opportunity.?AHP’s support is aimed specifically at those provinces and areas where there are major shortages of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals.AHP’s focus is on patients and equity in healthcare for rural and disadvantaged communities—communities that are suffering high burdens of AIDS and other diseases, including malaria and TB.These efforts are having far-reaching results. In 2009, their foreign recruitment efforts placed approximately seven times more doctors in rural South Africa than the long-term rural placements of all 8 South African medical schools combined. Learn more about their work by watching the film Bush Doctors.AHP delivers support to health workers by offering a way of smoothing the application and registration process, matching interested health workers with available?opportunities, and by providing clinical, cultural and logistical orientation and ongoing support throughout a recruit’s placement. AHP also supports the strengthening of human resources in health in the region through consulting, advocacy and knowledge-sharing with relevant partners and government bodies.AHP recruits into rural areas, where health workers are asked to commit to at least 12 months of services. Many renew their term of service—for one year, two years, even longer. Since its founding in 2005, AHP has placed more than 1,500 health professionals in Southern Africa, half of whom are from abroad.Check out AHP’s website,?and consider working with them to deliver health care to the rural poor in Africa. If you have friends or colleagues who might be interested in this critically important opportunity, please spread the word!
