AFR/RC62/R3 21 November 2012
REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA Sixty-second session Luanda, Republic of Angola, 19–23 November 2012 RESOLUTION
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
ROAD MAP FOR SCALING UP THE HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH FOR IMPROVED HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE AFRICAN REGION 2012–2025 (Document AFR/RC62/7) The Regional Committee, Having examined Document AFR/RC62/7 entitled “Road Map for scaling up the human resources for health for improved health service delivery in the African Region 2012 –2025”; Concerned that existing weaknesses in health systems including shortages of skilled human resources in most countries are a major impediment to delivery of essential interventions and progress towards achieving health objectives in the African Region; Noting that of the 46 countries in the Region, 36 have critical shortage of HRH, lower than the minimum acceptable density threshold; Recognizing that the health workforce challenges facing the countries in the African Region pose a strategic threat to national and regional health systems development; Aware that the major and pressing HRH challenges are weak HRH leadership and governance capacity; limited production capacity; inadequate utilization, retention and performance of the available health workforce; insufficient information; uncoordinated partnerships and weak policy dialogue; Noting the progress made by Member States in developing evidence-based national HRH policies and strategies; Recalling that several initiatives and resolutions on HRH adopted by the Regional Committee for Africa (AFR/RC48/10, 1998; AFR/RC52/13, 2002; AFR/RC57/9, 2007; AFR/RC59/4, 2009) and the World Health Assembly (WHA59.23 in 2006) address the current health workforce challenges; Recalling the Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Health Care and Health Systems in Africa: Achieving Better Health for Africa in the New Millennium, which identifies health workforce strengthening as one of the main priority areas;
AFR/RC62/R3 Page 2 1. ENDORSES Document AFR/RC62/7 entitled “Road map for scaling up human resources for health for improved health service delivery in the African Region 2012 –2025”; 2. URGES Member States: (a) to strengthen HRH governance, leadership and management capacity in order to improve policy and social dialogue and establish clear coordination mechanisms between ministries of health, finance, public service, education, the private sector and other stakeholders; to establish or strengthen national mechanisms for regulation of health workers in their production and practice; to invest in HRH production to scale up education and training of health workers, through joint efforts of countries, subregions and development partners; to evaluate the training capacities in countries including in the private sector; to improve the deployment, retention and performance of available health workers in order to ensure equitable geographic and organizational distribution and develop strategies for attracting and retaining skilled health workers especially in rural areas; to improve information and evidence regarding the health workforce, including accelerating the establishment of national HRH observatories as a component of a broader national health observatory and build health workforce research capacity; to provide adequate funds, and increase the predictability and sustainability of funding for HRH development plans and their implementation; to institutionalize, strengthen and sustain mechanisms for dialogue and collaboration with key stakeholders and partners; to develop national road maps consistent with national HRH strategic plans; to increase domestic (public and private) resources as well as mobilize donor funding for HRH development.
(b) (c) (d) (e)
(f)
(g) (h) (i) (j)
3.
REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) to advocate for the implementation of the Road map in collaboration with other partners; to provide technical support to Member States for the implementation and monitoring of the Road map; to guide and facilitate the harmonization of curricula of training schools, taking into account efforts made by regional economic communities; to facilitate South-South cooperation in response to the needs of training institutions and the exchange of best practice; to convene regular regional consultations among stakeholders; to develop a framework for the creation of the African Initiative for Learning and Teaching resources for Health Worker Education (AFRITEX) and present it to the Sixtythird session of the Regional Committee for its consideration;
AFR/RC62/R3 Page 3 (g) (h) to finalize guidance on staffing norms and standards for effective use by the Member States; to report to the Sixty-third session of the Regional Committee, and thereafter every two years, on the progress being made.