'The Human Resources for Health Crisis in Zambia' is part of the World Bank Working Paper series. These papers are published to communicate the results of the Bank's ongoing research and to stimulate public discussion. Despite reporting some health gains since the 1990s, health outcomes remain poor in Zambia and it will be very challenging to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The Government of Zambia recognizes that the improvement of child and maternal health and the reduction in mortality from HIV/AIDs and malaria require better access to an appropriate number...

Health indicators particularly on child health and malaria in Ethiopia have improved significantly in recent years, with the next challenge now focused on improving maternal health indicators. Improvements in Child health and Malaria in particular can be attributed to strong government commitment towards health results in the country, reflected in a number of notable policies and programs related to Human Resources for Health (HRH), in particular the health extension worker program. However, indicators related to maternal health, remain problematic. Ethiopia has one of the lowest levels of...

Despite some recent successes in Ghana, further improvements in health outcomes are in part hampered by the lack of skilled service providers, or human resources for health (HRH), particularly in rural areas, where critical health services are needed most. To address the lack of information and guide the development of policies and programs on HRH, Toward Interventions in Human Resources for Health in Ghana: Evidence for Health Workforce Planning and Results aims to paint a comprehensive picture of HRH, consolidating new and existing evidence on the stock, distribution, and performance of h...