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. 2013 Sep;13(3):800-7.
doi: 10.4314/ahs.v13i3.40.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Zambian Health Worker Retention Scheme (ZHWRS) for rural areas

J Gow  1 , G George, S Mwamba, L Ingombe, G Mutinta
Affiliations

An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Zambian Health Worker Retention Scheme (ZHWRS) for rural areas

J Gow et al. Afr Health Sci. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Zambian Health Workers Retention Scheme (ZHWRS) commenced in 2003. The schemes' original aim was to retain and recruit Zambian doctors in rural and remote districts. The aim of the ZHWRS subsequently expanded to also include other health workers, in either rural or urban areas. The scheme was formulated to address, in part, the drastic shortage of health workers.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of the ZHWRS in achieving its aim.

Methods: The data on the number of health workers recruited by the ZHWRS and the spatial distribution of them was reviewed. A survey of health workers was undertaken to elicit their views of their working conditions, their job satisfaction and the effectiveness of retention schemes in retaining or increasing the numbers of and overall satisfaction of health workers.

Results: The ZHWRS has not been successful in recruiting sufficient numbers of health workers to reverse the shortage problem or even to meet the modest targets of the scheme itself. However, these improvements do not decrease the likelihood of Department of Health (DoH) workers leaving their rural based positions.

Conclusions: The ZHWRS has not fully met either its original or revised aims. The drastic shortage of health workers in Zambia continues.

Keywords: Health Workers; Retention Scheme; Zambia.

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References

    1. Ministry of Health, author. Human Resources for Health Strategic Plan: 2006 – 2010. Lusaka: Ministry of Health; 2005.
    1. Mwale H. Human Resources for Health Innovations in Zambia: A Case Study of the Zambia Health Workers Retention Scheme. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009.
    1. Ministry of Health, author. Scale Up Plan for the Human Resources Retention Scheme. Lusaka: Ministry of Health; 2007.
    1. World Health Organization, author. The World Health Report 2006: Working Together for Health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2006. - PubMed
    1. Ministry of Health, author. 2008 Annual Health Statistical Bulletin. Lusaka, Zambia: Ministry of Health; 2009.

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