scholarly journals The Brain Drain Potential of Students in the African Health and Nonhealth Sectors

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Crush ◽  
Wade Pendleton

The departure of health professionals to Europe and North America is placing an intolerable burden on public health systems in many African countries. Various retention, recall, and replacement policies to ameliorate the impact of this brain drain have been suggested, none of which have been particularly successful to date. The key question for the future is whether the brain drain of health sector skills is likely to continue and whether the investment of African countries in training health professionals will continue to be lost through emigration. This paper examines the emigration intentions of trainee health professionals in six Southern African countries. The data was collected by the Southern African Migration Program (SAMP) in a survey of final-year students across the region which included 651 students training for the health professions. The data also allows for the comparison of health sector with other students. The analysis presented in this paper shows very high emigration potential amongst all final-year students. Health sector students do show a slightly higher inclination to leave than those training to work in other sectors. These findings present a considerable challenge for policy makers seeking to encourage students to stay at home and work after graduation.

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4(J)) ◽  
pp. 62-72
Author(s):  
Victor H. Mlambo ◽  
Toyin Cotties Adetiba

While there has been a plethora of studies that addresses migration in Africa, many have yet to successfully unpack the effects of brain drain on the South African health sector. Using textual analysis of the available literature relevant to the topic under consideration; this work seeks to identify the major structural and socio-economic push factors that drive the migration of health professionals in South Africa, relying on Revestain’s laws of migration and Lee’s push/pull theory of migration. The study also looks at explaining other factors that contribute to the migration of health professionals in South Africa. We argue that for South Africa to retain health professionals, the government needs to increase the training of health workers, improve their working conditions and security, upgrade infrastructure and ensure availability of resources as well as develop a more open immigration policy prioritizing skilled immigration.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor H. Mlambo ◽  
Toyin Cotties Adetiba

While there has been a plethora of studies that addresses migration in Africa, many have yet to successfully unpack the effects of brain drain on the South African health sector. Using textual analysis of the available literature relevant to the topic under consideration; this work seeks to identify the major structural and socio-economic push factors that drive the migration of health professionals in South Africa, relying on Revestain’s laws of migration and Lee’s push/pull theory of migration. The study also looks at explaining other factors that contribute to the migration of health professionals in South Africa. We argue that for South Africa to retain health professionals, the government needs to increase the training of health workers, improve their working conditions and security, upgrade infrastructure and ensure availability of resources as well as develop a more open immigration policy prioritizing skilled immigration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Labidi

Abstract The world is witnessing mobility of human resources facilitated by globalization and by international agreements on trade in services GATS. The advanced demographic transition in developed economies and increase in aging population have put pressures on demand of professionals from countries of the south to sustain economic growth. Health systems in countries of the south are facing increasing rate of migration of health workforce including physicians and allied personnel. Such situation led WHO to promote the code of ethical recruitment of international health professionals. The optional nature of the code did not allow its wider implementation. The brain drain of scare resources represents a real challenge for health systems in several countries including Tunisia. Since 2011, the pace of migration of Tunisian health professionals and particularly physicians have increased because of worsening working conditions, limited career path and uncertainty about the future. Europe and particularly France, Canada, Germany and Gulf states constitute the main destination of Tunisian migrants partly explained by cultural aspects including Arabic and French languages and similarity of Francophone model of medical education. The present qualitative study including focus group discussions with main stake holders aims at: Measuring the brain drain of Tunisian health professionalsAssessing the impact of brain drain on the Tunisian health systemSharing initiatives aimed at retaining health professionals in public sector and inside the country.Learning lessons from other countries on working models for well organized and mutually beneficial migration of health professionals.


2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD SMITH

Globalization is a key challenge facing health policy-makers. A significant aspect of this is trade in health services. However, little is currently known about how trade in health services will affect the health of populations and national economies. A key determinant of the impact of trade in health services will be the general economic and trade context of the country concerned. One specific aspect of this is the ‘openness’ of a country’s health sector to trade; yet there is little, if anything, currently known about the most appropriate methods to assess openness of the health sector.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Nii-Amoo Dodoo ◽  
Baffour Takyi ◽  
Jesse Mann

AbstractRecurring debates about the impact of the brain drain— the developing world's loss of human capital to more developed countries—has motivated estimation of the magnitude of the phenomenon, most recently by the World Bank. Although frequently cited as a key contributor to Africa's wanting development record, what constitutes the "brain-drain" is not always clearly defined. Today, in the absence of an accounting system, resolution of the definitional and measurement question depends on relative comparisons of measurement variants, which will identify definitional shortcomings by clarifying the merits and demerits of these variants, and thereby suggest corrective imputations. This paper compares the World Bank's approach to a chronological precedent (Dodoo 1997) to clarify the value of variant comparisons. The resultant implications for corrections are also discussed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Akokpari

AbstractThe paper argues that, while globalization is a catalyst for international migration, its impact on Africa's development remains polemical. Generally, discussions on the impact of international migration on African development feature two contrasting views. One view, which is gradually gaining currency, points to tangible benefits from migration in the form of migrant remittance, which recent World Bank reports identify as the second largest form of capital flow to Africa after foreign direct investments (FDI). This view thus sees the impact of international migration on African development as positive. This paper, however, takes a different view and argues that the adverse effects of international migration on Africa, in the form of brain drain—the emigration of Africa's trained professionals—far outweighs the perceived advantages associated with migrant remittances. Consequently, on the aggregate, Africa's development suffers under the weight of international migration. The paper thus suggests the formulation of workable policies by the AU to manage the brain drain. Such policy measures should include a conscious attempt to address the root causes of the so-called "push factors" which instigate the emigration of Africa's brains in the first instance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (07) ◽  
pp. 1850088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devanshi D. Dave ◽  
Brajesh Kumar Jha

Brain is the most complex structure of the human body. The processes going inside the brain and the mechanisms behind it have been unrevealed up to certain extent only. Out of the various physiological phenomena carried out by the brain, calcium signalling can be considered as one of the most important. Calcium being a second messenger plays an important role in transformation of various information. In view of above, an attempt has been made here to study calcium signalling in presence of buffers, i.e. one kind of proteins and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is also known as store house of the cell. Being the store house of the cell, it has very high amount of calcium, whereas buffers decrease the level of free calcium ions by binding calcium ions to it. A two-dimensional mathematical model has been developed to see the impact of these parameters on cytosolic calcium concentration. This mathematical model is solved analytically using Laplace transforms and similarity transforms. The simulations are carried out using MATLAB. It is observed that the impact of buffer and ER is significant on calcium signalling. The obtained results are interpreted with the Alzheimeric condition of the nerve cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullahi Tunde Aborode ◽  
Abdulhammed Opeyemi Babatunde ◽  
Bright-Agbonze Samuel Osayomwanbor ◽  
Emmanuel Adebowale Fajemisin ◽  
Oko Christian Inya ◽  
...  

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and measles are major threats to the health and wellbeing of Africans. Measles is an endemic disease in Africa with a high mortality rate especially in children despite available vaccines. This letter aims to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prevention and management of measles in Africa. The emergence of COVID-19 has exacerbated the morbidities of measles due to multi-factors like the disruption of mass measles routine vaccination, a monopolistic focus on COVID-19 eradication, malnutrition, and poor surveillance. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic and looming measles epidemic pose a double burden on the African health sector. We recommend urgent interventions from government and other stakeholders including community leaders to strengthen measles research and vaccination programs in Africa amidst the pandemic.


Author(s):  
Tumani Malinga ◽  
Tirelo Modie-Moroka

Intercontinental migrations, forced or volitional, are not new to Africans. While several research and studies have been conducted on the impact of migration on host countries as well as the brain-drain experienced by African countries, there is a scarcity of research on the real experiences of African migrants. This chapter proposes such research, using the life course perspective and qualitative research strategy in order to get a broader understanding of the lives of African diasporas. The life course perspective highlights the transitions, social meanings, and cumulative nature of the migrants' experiences, while the qualitative approach allows for tapping into the lived experiences of individuals through their personal narratives. Both are necessary for a more purposeful examination and realistic understanding of the African diaspora.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRÉDÉRIC DOCQUIER ◽  
LUCA MARCHIORI

AbstractWe analyze the consequences of increasing MENA-to-EU migration on both sending and receiving regions. Using a general equilibrium model, we find that increasing MENA-to-EU migration generates significant changes in EU15 tax rates and income per capita. Compared to a non-selective immigration shock, selecting immigrants leads to a moderate reduction in tax rates, but to a greater impact on income per capita in the EU15. Emigration, especially if high-skilled, has a detrimental impact on MENA tax rates. Finally, the negative effects in MENA are mitigated if the brain drain leads to side-effects or is accompanied by increased education attainment at origin.


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