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WHO News | October 10, 2003
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WHO SAYS HEALTH CARE STAFF SHORTAGES
MAY IMPEDE EFFORTS TO CUT TB BY 2005
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New York -- A worldwide shortage
of health care workers and high crime in some areas of greatest
medical need are obstructing efforts to control tuberculosis (TB) by
2005, the United Nations World Health Organization said in a report
released today.
Staff recruitment and retainment are difficult because of low pay,
unhealthy and often unsafe work environments, poor career prospects
and HIV-related worker illnesses. These are factors restricting
progress towards the goal of detecting 70 per cent of cases and
curing 85 per cent of the people diagnosed by the target date WHO
said.
Of the 22 high-burden countries (HBCs) that account for 4 out of 5
of the world's TB cases, 17 have reported that their efforts to
reach the 2005 targets are being hampered by staffing problems. The
HBCs include China, India, Indonesia and Nigeria.
"For a country's economy to grow, it must have a healthy
workforce. At the same time the workforce has to depend on highly
motivated and qualified staff in the health sector," Dr.
Leopold Blanc, WHO Coordinator for the Stop TB Department.
"We need to promote improved working conditions for TB control
staff and also an incentive for them to stay working in TB. Opening
up career opportunities and supporting ongoing training schemes is
one way to ensure we retain staff."
In some countries, despite drawbacks, thousands of volunteers and
health workers deliver lifesaving TB drugs daily to patients under
the comprehensive Directly Observed Therapy Short-Course (DOTS)
strategy, making sure patients take all of their prescribed
medicines and, thus, limiting the development of
multi-drug-resistant TB.
For workers in some of these areas, the dangers are very apparent.
At a conference in the Netherlands hosted by the Dutch KNVC charity
earlier this week, participants paid tribute to Annalena Tonelli,
who ran a clinic for refugees in Somalia and was shot to death on
Sunday. She was instrumental in developing DOTS tuberculosis control
programmes in Africa.
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