ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the emergence of these concerns and identify the major issues that are impacting on the delivery of quality services. It focuses on the international mobility of health professionals, using South Africa as a case study. More rapidly growing populations, the rise of HIV/AIDS and other non-communicable diseases, aging, changing family structures, rising expectations as a result of education and access to television have all had an impact on the demand for health workers. The OECD report urged better international communication on health workforce policy and planning between countries to manage shortages and surpluses, together with the need for better and more comparable data collection systems. ASEAN commissioned one project on the mobility of health professionals but the study was designed to find ways to increase intra-regional mobility within ASEAN. The discussion of policy implications has canvassed the major options for countries experiencing extreme shortages, such as improving national health sectors with additional finance.
