This initiative may be of interest to those of you working in the field of
HIV/AIDS. HealthGap is a very reputable group. I propose that NIHAC sign
on. Comments?

Mary Anne

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 10:52:16 -0500
From: pdavis@...
To: healthgap <healthgap@...>
Subject: Endorsement request: Health Worker Initiative to fight AIDS

With the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and PEPFAR facing
shortages of trained health workers and the 3 x 5 effort falling short,
this platform kicks off a campaign to win new measures to support training,
retention and support for a health workforce large enough and strong enough
to meet the challenges of the AIDS crisis.

We need as many endorsements from every corner of the country and globe to
win a platform this ambitious. Together, we have done it before. Please send
endorsements to pdavis@... - thank you!

Please endorse this as soon as possible. Here is the platform:
--
Urgent Call for U.S. Initiative on Health Workforce in AIDS-Impacted
Countries

(January 1 2006) The critical shortage of health care workers and weak
health systems is the key bottleneck to scaling up access to AIDS treatment.
While the needs of individual countries must be determined locally, experts
estimate that sub-Saharan Africa needs at least 1 million new health workers
to meet essential health needs. Sustained commitment and creative action are
necessary to develop and support the health workforce needed to secure the
right to health and achieve universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010, as
well as other international health goals.

We urge the President of the United States and Members of Congress to lead a
global health workforce initiative in AIDS ravaged countries. The U.S.
should:

1. Invest significant new resources in specific sub-Saharan countries to
recruit, train, support, and effectively utilize the number of health
workers needed to achieve universal access to AIDS treatment for all in need
by 2010 and universal access to primary health care by 2015, while
supporting a new G8 initiative to assist additional countries. The U.S.
should contribute 1/3 of the funds needed, approximately $650 million in
2007 and scaling up over ensuing years. The U.S. contributions should
support national human resource plans within the context of comprehensive
country health plans that improve health systems performance to achieve
sustainable results. Funding should be predictable and long-term, flowing
directly to the public sector and local NGO and faith-based care providers
as appropriate. The U.S. should also support effective regional and global
initiatives.

The U.S. should invest in (a) long-term strategic planning; (b)
strengthening and expanding capacity of health training institutions; (c)
retaining health workers through adequate compensation, safe and improved
work conditions, stronger supervision, continuing education, and care
including AIDS treatment; (d) human resource and fiscal management; (e)
equitable distribution including incentives to work in underserved areas;
(f) re-deploying unemployed health workers.

2. Cover costs to public health systems of implementing PEPFAR and other
U.S. initiatives. U.S. agencies should support training and retention for at
least the number of indigenous health workers necessary to meet program
goals. Aggressive proactive measures must be adopted to avoid drawing from
other local health priorities or programs.

3. Launch a substantial community health worker initiative to train,
compensate, and deploy community members, especially women and PLWHA, to
provide basic care, treatment, prevention services, and referrals. Community
health workers should have access to care, including AIDS treatment, and be
offered a career pathway. The program should be integrated into primary
health systems, and ensure adequate supervision, support, and ongoing
training.

4. Reduce brain drain by increasing the number of U.S. health professional
graduates and improving U.S. health worker distribution. The U.S. government
and professional health communities should expand training opportunities in
the U.S., discourage active recruitment from poor nations, and work with
developing and developed countries and international organizations to
develop migration and recruitment policies that mutually benefit source and
destination countries. Some experts estimate that the U.S. will need to
increase the annual number of medical school graduates by at least 5,000 and
of nursing graduates by at least 25,000 over the next 10-15 years.

5. Create new possibilities for U.S. and diaspora health workers to serve
abroad to help meet immediate care and treatment needs while providing
training and support to strengthen health systems. The U.S. should develop
programs in cooperation with local governments, prioritize strengthening
local institutions, and support South-South exchanges.

6. Convene and support country-level teams of all stakeholders to devise and
implement coordinated plans to achieve universal access to health services.
The U.S. should provide technical assistance and facilitate the country
team's access to all necessary sources of external funding. Cross-sectoral
country-level planning is necessary to promote national ownership, donor
coordination, and cross-sectoral planning and harmonization.

7. Contribute 1/3 of the predicted need of the Global Fund to fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria, for both the coming year and, gradually, a sum
equivalent to an additional year to alleviate donor shortfalls and enable
more ambitious applications. Health systems strengthening must be sustained
as a category of GFATM financing.

8. Reform IMF-supported spending and wage policies that limit national and
donor investments in health and education. Barriers to access such as
user-fees for health and education should be eliminated. The U.S. should
provide funds to compensate for lost revenue and support increased
utilization of services.

9. Remove Congressional and agency limits to funding recurrent expenses,
salaries, and sectorwide approaches, and allow flexibility to agencies
seeking to strengthen health systems and scale-up access to care and
prevention.


The undersigned organizations and experts urge the President of the United
States and Congress to adopt and implement this platform.

Distinguished experts in the field of human resources for health
Gilbert Kombe, MD, MPH, Partnership for Health Reformplus Project,
Abt Associates Inc.

Fitzhugh Mullan, MD, Murdock Head Professor of Medicine and Health Policy
Department of Health Policy, George Washington University, School of Public
Health and Health Services

Lincoln C. Chen, MD, WHO Special Envoy on Human Resources for Health,
Director of the Global Equity Center at Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Organizations:
African Council for Sustainable Health Development (ACOSHED), Intšl
ActionAid International USA
African Services Committee, USA
Agua Buena Human Rights Association, Costa Rica
American Jewish World Service, USA
CARE USA
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) Intšl
Equinet Network for Equity in Health in east and southern Africa, Intšl
Global AIDS Alliance, USA
Global Equity Gauge Alliance (GEGA) Intšl
Health GAP (Global Access Project), USA
Health Systems Trust, South Africa
Physicians for Human Rights, USA
RESULTS USA
Student Global AIDS Campaign, USA
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church & Society, USA
University Coalitions for Global Health, USA
VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) UK
Zimbabwe Activists on HIV and AIDS (ZAHA), Zimbabwe

--
Paul Davis
Health GAP (Global Access Project)
pdavis@...
t: +1 215.833.4102 (mobile)
f: +1 215.474.4793
www.healthgap.org