Health workforce

WHO to hold public hearings on the draft code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel

The deadline for submission of comments has been extended to 3 October 2008.

1 September 2008 | GENEVA -- All parties with an interest in the upcoming WHO code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel are invited to present their views through web-based public hearings organized by WHO.

WHO invites Member States, health workers, recruiters, employers, academic and research institutions, health professional organizations, relevant subregional, regional and international organizations, whether governmental or nongovernmental, and all persons concerned with the international recruitment of health personnel to contribute to the web-based hearings on a draft code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel between 1st and 30 September 2008.

The initiative will provide an opportunity for everyone, including the general public, to consider and comment upon the draft code. Input received during the course of these web-based public hearings will contribute to developing a revised draft code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel.

The numbers of migrating health workers have significantly increased in the past decades, and patterns of migration have become more complex and have involved more countries. Health worker migration from those countries that are already experiencing a crisis in their health workforce is further weakening already fragile health systems and presents a serious impediment to achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals.

Responding to the issue, the World Health Assembly, in Resolutions WHA57.19 and WHA58.17, requests the Director-General to develop a code of practice on international recruitment of health personnel, in consultation with Member States and all relevant partners.

Contributions received during the web-based public hearings will be considered in the development of a draft code of practice that will be discussed by WHO's Executive Board at its session in January 2009.

Notice of hearings and call for submissions

The web-based hearings will run from 1 to 30 September 2008. Beginning 1 September, contributions can be submitted in English through a dedicated web site and in any of the other five official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) by fax (No. +41 22 791 47 47). Submissions must not exceed two pages (1000 words). In order to be considered, faxed submissions must be accompanied by the cover sheet.

Contributors to the public hearings are invited to consult the following key resources as background:

  • Resolution WHA57.19 - International migration of health personnel: a challenge for health systems in developing countries
  • Resolution WHA58.17 - International migration of health personnel: a challenge for health systems in developing countries
  • Progress report - documents A58/23 and A59/18
  • Report to the Executive Board - document EB122/16 Rev.1
  • Kampala Declaration and Agenda for Global Action
  • G8 Communique

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For more information please contact WHO Secretariat: hrhinfo@who.int

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Draft code of practice