AFRICA: AIDS battle slowed by "brain drain" - report

JOHANNESBURG, 14 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - A "brain drain" of health care workers in Africa is hampering efforts to provide treatment to thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS, the health and rights group, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), has said.

In their report, "An Action Plan to Prevent Brain Drain", to be released Thursday, the group said the loss of trained workers was slowing the AIDS battle and "further crippling ... already fragile" health care infrastructures throughout the continent.

Specific measures to slow the migration of health care workers to wealthier nations and increase staff in African health care facilities are proposed by the group.

The recommendations include calling upon developed nations to reimburse African countries for loss of health professionals; combating their own health care worker shortages by training more people domestically rather than recruiting from developing countries; and working with international organisations to directly support higher salaries or other forms of reimbursement for underpaid African health professionals.

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