3rd July, 2007
The African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF) hosts an event in parliament to address the acute health worker crisis in Africa. Key speakers at the event include Lord Nigel Crisp, former chief executive of the NHS and development minister Gareth Thomas.
Estimates suggest there is a shortage of 4.2 million health workers worldwide. This is more severe in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV, malaria and TB are most prevalent.
Experts will gather at Portcullis House on 4th July from 4-7pm to gain a better understanding of how the health worker crisis is impacting on health care in Africa, explore different solutions and discuss how they can best work together to address this crisis.
Dr Daraus Bukenya, an AMREF director, will explain how the health worker crisis is impacting on African communities and will highlight some of the ways that AMREF is addressing this crisis, highlighted in AMREF’s new report: People First: African solutions to the health worker crisis. This report looks at giving more responsibility to lower cadres of health workers and training and supporting community health workers to better reach people living in rural areas; the majority of the population in Africa.
Gareth Thomas, UK development minister, will explain the UK Government’s response to the health worker crisis in Africa and in particular outline DFID’s new Health Strategy, Working Together for Better Health.
Lord Nigel Crisp, the former chief executive of the NHS and author of Global Health Partnerships: The UK contribution to health in developing countries, will outline recommendations made in this report.
Mark Foster, chief group executive of Accenture, will address the contribution that international business can make to the health worker crisis through private /public partnerships.
The event is co-hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Groups on AIDS, TB and malaria and will be the first time all three APPGs have met together. This is particularly important as all participants recognise the need to address the health worker crisis and weak health systems in general, rather than concentrating on single diseases.
Andrew Jack, pharmaceutical correspondent for the Financial Times will be chairing the event, which will be followed by a drinks reception from 5.45pm.