AMREF plays leadership role in 2nd Global Forum on Human Resources for Health in Bangkok, Thailand
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"It's not complicated," stressed AMREF USA Chair Carol Jenkins who participated in a high-level panel discussion entitled "The UN Secretary General Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health: What will be done about the workforce?".
Among her fellow panelists were senior representatives from the Minstries of Health of Bangladesh and Rwanda, Angelique K. Rwiyereka and A.F.M. Ruhal Haque, respectively, and Rebecca Affolder, Advisor, Global Health Policay and Coordination - Strategic Planning Unit, United Nations, (Every Woman, Every Child) from the UN Secretary General's office and incoming Global Health Workforce Alliance Chairman Masato Mugitani, Assistant Minister of Global Health, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan.
Carol's main message was, "It's not complicated." The overall issues concerning meeting the ambitious goals set by Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 are complex, and require significant work. Still, as Carol stressed, " we all know that more lives of African mothers and children will be saved if we have a motivate, competent and skilled workforce. Professor Miriam Were, AMREF's former Global Chair, who was among the audience, applauded Carol's candid comments, saying "the international community would do better to hear Carol's message."
AMREF is an active participant in the Health Workforce Advocacy Alliance (HWAI), an international civil society-led coalition that engages in research, policy analysis, and evidence-based advocacy for closing the gap in the health workforce. AMREF, along with other civil society organizations, endorses the HWAI Call for 'Bolder 
Leadership, Bolder Action' on HRH to address the health workforce crisis, meet the MDGs and ensure health for all.
>> HWAI Platform: Setting Tragets and Strategies to Close the Global Health Worker Gap
On January 29, at the close fo the meeting, the participants at the 2nd Global Forum on Human Resources for Health adopted the Bangkok Outcome Statement, which reitereates the principles fo the Kampala Declaration and Code as instruments for alignment and accountability at global, regional, national and local levels, and calls upon all stakeholders to accelerate implementation in a comprehensive manner.
Background: 2nd Global Forum on Human Resources for Health
The Second Global Forum on Human Resources for Health was held in Bangkok, Thailand, January 25th-29th, 2011. It was convened by the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA), the Prince Mahidol Award Conference, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It was also being supported by many other agencies, especially the Rockefeller Foundation, the China Medical Board and the World Bank.
For a better understanding of why the health worker shortage is truly a global crisis, please read this article by Sarah Boseley of the Guardian.
AMREF is the world’s leading African health development organization. AMREF has been training health workers for close to 50 years, including clinical officers, community midwives and community health workers. AMREF’s current focus is on improving the health of women and children by focusing on human resources for health, health leadership, governance and management, health management information systems, and strengthening of community systems. We are very involved at this global forum as we have been shortlisted for a number of awards, we are also hosting workshops, and speaking on panels. AMREF is a leader at the 2nd Global Forum on Human Resources for Health offering several workshops and speaking on panels. AMREF is also shortlisted for a number of awards.
Awards of Excellence
These awards highlight exceptional training programs for health care professionals from around the world. In total, 96 nominations were submitted from 46 countries. An independent award selection committee, of prominent experts in the field of human resources for health selected the most outstanding 36 case studies. All three of AMREF’s submissions were selected.
AMREF's three (submitted & selected) programs:
Workshops:
AMREF successfully applied for three different side events at the conference:
Additional AMREF involvement
Dr. Peter Ngatia AMREF Director of Capacity Building will be speaking about the Need for a Global HRH Strategy during the Side Meeting hosted by the Health Workforce Advocacy Initiative (HWAI) entitled "What will it take set a truly 'actionable' global policy agenda to address the global HRH shortage?"
Carol Jenkins (Chair of the Board of AMREF USA) will be a panelist on session #14 at the forum entitled ”The UN Secretary General Global Strategy for Women's and Children's health: what will be done about the workforce?"
More Information
AMREF issues statement urging world governments and development partners to move beyond mere discussions and to take concrete action to solve the global health worker crisis.
Learn more about the Second Global Forum on Human Resources for Health.
The Global Health Workforce Alliance in partnership with the Guardian (a UK Newspaper), have launched a microsite to highlight and raise awareness of the global health workforce crisis. Learn more here
