The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently blacklisted Nigeria among 55 countries that developed nations should not actively recruit health workers from. The WHO’s list is a safeguard measure to protect the healthcare systems of countries most impacted by the shortage of health workers.
According to Dr. Olumuyiwa Ojo, the Technical Officer Human Resource for Health in the WHO office in Nigeria, “The WHO is deeply concerned about the brain drain crisis in Nigeria, which is a major contributing factor to the shortage of health workers. Health workers are free to move to countries where they will receive better remuneration, but the WHO is working with governments to improve policies for retaining health workers where they are needed most.”
The WHO’s Code of Practice of International Recruitment for health workers is a general binding code for all countries aimed at preventing developed nations from engaging in active recruitment of health workers from countries on the blacklist. The code is a step towards ensuring that healthcare systems around the world are sustainable and equitable.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, stated that “The Code of Practice is a significant milestone in the global effort to address the negative effects of international recruitment of health personnel from developing countries. It is a call to action for all stakeholders to ensure that the rights of health workers are respected and that the health systems of developing countries are not further weakened.”
The WHO’s blacklist is a wake-up call for developed nations to stop exploiting the healthcare systems of developing countries like Nigeria. It is a global concern that needs to be addressed urgently to ensure that healthcare systems around the world are sustainable and equitable.
