AFRICA - ‘Whitecoats' emergency in some African countries: doctors and nurses emigrate to work in rich countries

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - According to a report by the Centre for Global Development in Washington, some African countries have more of their doctors and nurses abroad than at home.
For example Mozambique has 75% of its doctors working abroad, Angola has 70% of its doctors in other countries: there are more doctors of a certain nationality in one foreign country than in the country of origin. For every doctor in Liberia, two work abroad.
The report studied information collected between 1999 and 2001, comparing it with information in nine hosting countries: UK, USA, France, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and South Africa. The report suggested that the haemorrhage of doctors goes hand in hand with civil war, political instability and economic stagnancy. Angola, Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda and Sierra Leone experienced civil war at the end of the last century and by 2000 had lost 40% of their doctors. Kenya and Zimbabwe saw half their doctors emigrate during years of economic and political difficulties.
The situation is better in more stable and prosperous countries such as Botswana, which has managed to keep most of its doctors at home. Looking at the destinations chosen by African doctors, the United Kingdom is one of the few countries to have introduced a code to avoid active recruitment of health workers from Sub-Saharan Africa. Nevertheless, according to official figures, 17,620 African doctors and nurses were working in Britain last year.
(AP) (22/1/2008 Agenzia Fides; Righe:23; Parole:278)