No Health Care Without Health Workers

With the post-Millennium Development Goals aim of universal health coverage, major external donors will find themselves increasingly constrained in meeting the needs of developing countries. They are seeking ways to generate greater health value from the limited funds available.

The Center for Global Development (CGD) has been looking into this question, and will be issuing an important report on the subject of getting health value for money.

No health care is delivered without health workers. As one of the six building blocks for health systems strengthening, the health workforce is best addressed systematically rather than with silver bullets. Any effort to maximize health impact is critically dependent on an adequately trained, competent, productive, appropriately distributed, retained, and well-managed health workforce. It must be anchored in the composition and performance of the health workforce, one responsive to national needs. [...]