Human Resources: Zambia announces plan to improve Human Resources in the health sector

Zambia's Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo, has proposed a human resources for health strategic plan, to combat the country's inability to deliver quality service.

Announcing the plan Masebo said that, "the biggest problem facing the country's health sector is human resources crisis, which is characterized by insufficiency of health workers, high level brain drain, low salary plus poor working environment and the imbalance in the distribution of health workers between urban and rural areas."

The plan aims to address these issues by improving salaries and conditions of service for health workers to match those in the private sector and neighbouring countries. Sweden (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), has agreed to provide $2.5 million to support the plan and the European Union, is also making funds available.