Health Workforce Education: Investing in the Next Generation of Health Workers
On April 14, 2015, CapacityPlus and SHOPS presented a webinar on innovative investment options for health workforce education and training. Over 40 participants joined in the session, which offered presentations and question-and-answer sessions with participants engaging both the speakers and each other. Access a recording of the webinar and view presentation slides.
Rebecca Bailey, CapacityPlus team lead for health workforce development, offered an overview of the main financing sources for education and introduced some innovative approaches for diversifying revenue sources with a focus on the private sector.
Sarah Dominis, SHOPS human resources for health specialist, highlighted the importance of engaging the private sector in addressing human resources for health challenges. She shared experiences and lessons learned in private sector financing of health workforce education and the feasibility of student loans in Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Heather Ross, CapacityPlus technical advisor for health workforce development, described the Bottlenecks and Best Buys Approach, designed to identify obstacles to increasing the production of competent and qualified health workers that can be overcome through limited yet strategic investments (best buys). She presented the case of Nigeria, where bottlenecks assessments found several factors that limit students’ ability to succeed in school, leading to high dropout rates—and wasted investment in education. She went on to explain how a strategic program of investments in students, tutors, and learning materials and equipment led to increased graduation rates and higher pass rates on certifying exams.
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