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Thursday, 24th September 2009
3.15 – 5.15 pm
followed by an aperitif
Bern: Swiss Red Cross, Rainmattstrasse 10
Organized by Medicus Mundi Switzerland and the Medicus Mundi International
Network |
Rich countries recruit directly or indirectly qualified staff from low and
middle income countries in order to secure their health care systems. In the
countries of origin, the international migration of health workers often has
a negative impact, deepening the crisis of the national health system. In order
to address this challenge and to set some international standards and guidelines,
the World Health Organization is developing a global code of practice of international
recruitment of health workers*.
In stakeholder consultations and in the regional WHO meetings (Europe: September
2009), the WHO members and the international community are invited to contribute
to the development of the international code of practice – and to develop own,
regional or national guidelines.
The members of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland expect the Swiss government
and administration (mainly the Federal Office for Health and the Swiss Development
Cooperation) to play an active and positive role in this process, and to develop
clear and constructive positions and policies in the key issues related to health
workforce migration such as:
• Destination countries of workforce migration should strive to create a self-sufficient
national health workforce and work toward establishing effective health workforce
planning that will reduce or even preclude their need to recruit migrant health
personnel.
• Destination countries of workforce migration must compensate the value of
transferred wealth via direct financial and technical support to the affected
countries and health systems. This support should clearly contribute to a reduction
in the push factors in order to make it more attractive for health workers to
stay in their respective countries.
Programme
| Round of introduction |
| Inputs:
Kaspar Wyss, Swiss Tropical Institute:
Introduction to the global code of practice and the two key issues of
self-sufficiency and compensation
Thomas Schwarz, Medicus Mundi International:
Position of Medicus Mundi International related to the globe code of practice
and the two key issues (statement submitted to the September session of
the WHO Regional Committee for Europe)
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| Discussion with with Gaudenz Silberschmidt, director
of the International Affairs Division of the Swiss Federal Office of Public
Health, and a representative of Swiss Development Cooperation and participants
from Switzerland and other European countries (members of the MMI Network). |
| Aperitif |
Download of the programme: Invitation
Venue: Bern: Swiss Red Cross, Rainmattstrasse 10 (Map)
Language: English – no translation available
Registration deadline: 20 September 2009 (e-mail or phone call)
Contact and further information:
Martin Leschhorn Strebel: E-Mail
to Martin Leschhorn Strebel
or Thomas Schwarz: E-Mail to Thomas
Schwarz
Phone: ++41 (0)61 383 18 10
* Health workforce migration and retention: www.who.int/hrh/migration
