HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH IN CRISIS

1. HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH IN CRISIS By ADELINE I KIMAMBO Acting Director CSSC

2. Introduction: Policy environment Vision 2025 • Overall long term goal: to attain sustainable human development by 2025 • Health is one of the priority sectors • Achievement of high quality livelihood for all Tanzanians is one of the main objectives of the development vision

3. Introduction (cont) National Health Policy • Overall goal of the policy is to improve the health and wellbeing of all Tanzanians with a focus on those at risk, and to encourage the health system to be more responsive to the needs of the people. • HRH objective: to train and make available competent and adequate number of health staff to manage health services with gender perspective at all levels.

4. Introduction (cont) Health Sector Reform • Seeks to address various strategic issues affecting the effective and efficient delivery of quality health services in the country • Strategy 4: ensure well trained and motivated staff, deployed at the appropriate health service level

5. Introduction (cont) Health Sector Strategic Plan (2003 – 2008) • Overall vision: “assuring quality health services accessible to all Tanzanians and responsive to their needs”. • Human Resource considered as the most critical element in the health sector, to implement the strategic plan

6. Human Resource for Health • Well planned, trained and deployed workforce will adequately cope with existing and emerging health issues. • Important role/contribution towards achieving the goals of Vision 2025, National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, and Millennium Development Goals

7. Human Resource related problems/challenges • Inadequate production/low capacity of training institutions • Inadequate skilled staff, in numbers and skills mix at all levels • Shortage in health facilities • Inappropriate deployment and distribution • Problem of filling vacant posts

8. Human Resource related problems/challenges (cont) • Absence a coordination mechanism to address HRH issues (PO-PSM, MOF, PORALG, MOH) • Low staff morale (management issues, low salaries, working environment, inadequate medical supplies) and lack of incentives mechanism • Under funding for training

9. Human Resource related problems/challenges (cont) • Continuing Education programmes vertically tailored and mostly centrally prescribed (for programs) • Workforce attrition (retirement, death, migration) • Impact of HIV/AIDS

10. Shortage of HRH in health facilities

11. Human Resource challenges for FBOs • The focus of the HSSP 2003-2008 is “To provide quality and cost effective district health services accessible to the community”. • FBOs are part of the district health system, therefore obliged to participate in implementing the health sector strategic framework.

12. Human Resource challenges for FBOs (cont) • FBOs are expect to provide quality health services according to national guidelines. • Human resource crisis more prominent in faith-based facilities (most of the FBO facilities are located in rural areas) • Professional staff moving from FBO facilities to public facilities

13. Human Resource challenges for FBOs (cont) • Human resource management in FBO facilities problematic (policies, financing problems) • Recruitment of new staff more difficult for FBOs

14. Next steps • Joint effort by the government and partners to address the crisis (emergency) • Capacity building to facilitate efficient and effective human resource management, including proper planning and budgeting • Promote equity in deployment of staff regardless of ownership of health facility

15. Next steps (cont) • Increase access to training opportunities for FBO staff (technical and management) • Provide sponsorship of candidates and support/facilitate recruitment • Establishment of new partnerships to support FBOs in the field of human resource development