International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Non-physician Clinicians – A Gain for Physicians’ Working in Sub-Saharan Africa; Comment on “Non-physician Clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Evolving Role of Physicians”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors
Delanyo Dovlo 1
Ibiso Ivy King-Harry 2
Kevin Ousman 3
1 World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region Office, Brazzaville, Congo
2 SUN Business Network, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Abuja, Nigeria
3 Department of Health System Policies and Operations, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) Brazzaville, Congo
10.15171/ijhpm.2016.110
Abstract
The changing demands on the health sectors in low- and middle-income countries especially sub-Saharan African countries continue to challenge efforts to address critical shortages of the health workforce. Addressing these challenges have led to the evolution of “non-physician clinicians” (NPCs), that assume some physician roles and thus mitigate the continuing shortage of doctors in these countries. While it is agreed that changes are needed in physicians’ roles and their training as part of the new continuum of care that includes NPCs, we disagree that such training should be geared solely at ensuring physicians dominated health systems. Discussions on the workforce models to suit low-income countries must avoid an endorsement of a culture of physician focused health systems as the only model for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It is also essential that training for NPCs be harmonized with that of physicians to clarify the technical roles of both.

Highlights

 

 

Watch the Video Summary here. 

 

Keywords
Non-physician Clinicians (NPCs)
Physician Training
Nurses
Task-Shifting
Health Workforce
Training
Leadership
Subjects

 

 

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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 6, Issue 2
2017
Pages 119-121

  • Received Date 08 June 2016
  • Revised Date 15 August 2016
  • Accepted Date 09 August 2016
  • First Published Date 01 February 2017
  • Published Date 01 February 2017