The Future Of Medical Work in Southern Africa: Case Study of the Future of Medical Work and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Work in South Africa

Major global trends such as economic integration, urbanization, climate change, demographic shifts, digital and technological advances, and rising consumerism will all affect population health and shape the future of medical work.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ivins, Courtney Price (Author)
Format: Electronic eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C The World Bank 2022
Series:Other Health Study
Subjects:
Online Access:Volltext
Summary:Major global trends such as economic integration, urbanization, climate change, demographic shifts, digital and technological advances, and rising consumerism will all affect population health and shape the future of medical work.
In South Africa, these trends can be harnessed as opportunities, but this will require the government to take a strategic approach and to give its immediate attention to six health workforce issues: (i) the mismatch between the number and the skills of health graduates produced by the health education system and the number and specialties needed for future medical work; (ii) the unsustainable financing system for expensive medical education; (iii) the large numbers of foreign-trained medical graduates whose degrees are not being fully recognized in South Africa; (iv) high vacancy rates in health facilities coinciding with high unemployment and inadequate human resource management; (v) insufficient data on the health workforce; and (vi) the public sector's reluctance to collaborate with the private sector and international health labor.
With more large-scale disasters looming, South Africa's experience with the COVID-19 pandemic will provide important lessons for the future of medical work. Based on the findings of this case study, we make recommendations on health education policy and human resource policy.
Physical Description:1 Online-Ressource
DOI:10.1596/37435