Global health economics: looking at health worker labour markets
Commissioned by the World Bank as part of its Directions in Development series, this research project examined how labor and health economics could be used to analyse and better understand the role and functions of health worker labor markets.
Analysing Labour Markets for Health Workers: Key Insights from Labour and Health Economics
Commissioned by the World Bank as part of its Directions in Development-Human Development series, this research project examined how labor and health economics could be used to better understand the role and functions of the international health worker labor markets.
The research team found that health workforce shortages stemmed from inadequate overall supply and the sub-optimal allocation of health human resources by location and role, with low performance and productivity also highlighted as issues of concern.
It was also found that these problems were compounded by resourcing issues, with a gap generally existing between the money required for an adequate workforce and the available budget.
Impact
The findings from this project were published by the World Bank in 2014, as part of its Open Knowledge Repository, and are now being used to inform data collection on the health workforce in low and middle income countries.
Output
McPake, Barbara, Scott, Anthony, Edoka, Ijeoma, 'Analyzing Markets for Health Workers : Insights from Labor and Health Economics', Directions in Development-Human Development, Washington DC, World Bank, © World Bank, License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Investigators
Professor Barbara McPake, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
Ijeoma Edoka, Wits School of Public Health, South Africa
