Brain Drain of Health Professionals in Zimbabwe
Brain Drain is described in the work of Lowell and Findlay (2001) as something that can occur "...if emigration of tertiary educated persons for permanent or long-stays abroad reaches significant levels and is not offset by the 'feedback' effects of remittances, technology transfer, investments or trade. Brain drain reduces economic growth through unrecompensed investments in education and depletion of a source country's human capital assets." (p.6) Dolvo (2003) writes that the African continent is facing an unprecedented health crisis due to the HIV / AIDS epidemic and the "re-emergence of old communicable diseases such as TB and Malaria, and the apparent paradox of increasing levels disorders linked to changing lifestyles and degenerative diseases." (p.1) Added to this are other problems that impact the health system and that arise from economic challenges, which result in low health care service funding combined with health service infrastructure deterioration. (Dolvo, 2003, paraphrased) It is reported that estimations state that 17 out of 48 African countries reported a reduction in life expectancy between the years of 1981 and 1999. Dolvo states the significant fact that the health worker is "operating within the difficult milieu." (2003, p.1) The health worker is "a critical part of the health system and perhaps the most essential of the health sector's resources, whose motivation and effective utilization enhances the efficiency and effectiveness with which all the other resources are used." (Dolvo, 2003, p.1) Dolvo also reports that the numbers of health professionals who are experiencing brain drain has peaked in previous years largely due to the high demands that come from the developing countries and that these "demands are such that were occasioned by demographic changes, aging populations as well as a reduction in attracting recruits into the health workforce." (2003, p.3) In addition, reported are additional needs for longer work hours meaning that there has been an increase in the demand for doctors and nurses. Stated specifically is that the "brain drain of professionals, combined with the health crisis described...together threatens the entire development process" on the African continent. (Dolvo, 2003, p.3) The flight of professional and skilled people from Zimbabwe is reported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to be such that has reached alarming levels and a study conducted by the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) under contract from the National Economic and Consultative Forum, to measure the rate and level of the brain drain" in Zimbabwe. The study confirms that the "level and trend of the brain drain in Zimbabwe has risen to heights described as levels that were too high. (IRIN News, 2011) Also reported is that the study revealed that Zimbabwe "dropped to 145th place out of 175 countries in the Human Development index in 2004" which is described as a "composite measure of average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, education and a decent standard of living." (IRIN, 2011) According to the SIRCDC study there are 479,348 Zimbabweans 'in the Diaspora" although there were many that could not be contacted. Most of these individuals are reported as having a bachelor's degree with 20% having master's degrees and 5% holding PhD degrees." (IRIN, 2011) The brain drain issue has accelerated in the past ten years and the reasons stated for this by the Southern African Migration Program (SAMP) and it is reported that care is a requirement in the interpretation of the data and policy recommendations for the reasons stated as follows:
Uncertainty over the numbers involved. The extent of the drain is certainly not captured in official statistics.
Most projections about future trends are based on faulty methodological assumptions that tend to exaggerate the likelihood of emigration.
There is a common notion that emigration means departure for good. Many who depart do not intend to stay away permanently. And many who leave retain strong economic and social links with home.
Third World Development What are the growing problems of ethnic tensions and violence in the developing world? It is impossible to state all of the growing problems of ethnic tension and violence in the developing world, because old tensions are constantly being revived. Because most instances of ethnic tension do not lead to large-scale violence, when violence does erupt, it can be a surprise, even to seasoned observers. Of course, it is
Literature Review 1. The dilemma of Obesity Mokdad et al., (1999) in his study found that the issue of unhealthy weight, overweight and obesity are perhaps one of the rising concerns for the Americans in the 21st century as more and more U.S. citizens become vulnerable to the circumstantial risks and dangers of the phenomenon (Mokdad et al., 1999). It is usually the body mass indexes (BMI) that indicate whether a person
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