IFGH 2010: The global code on health worker migration-marking Ireland’s score card

Issues:  The lead author participated in drafting WHOʼs Ê»Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnelʼ, adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2010 (http:// www.who.int/workforcealliance/about/taskforces/migration/en/), while conducting a study on nurse migration to Ireland.

Description:  OECD data show Ireland to be the developed country most heavily dependent on foreign health workers, who account for 47% of its registered nurses and 35% of its doctors. The Global Code outlines the rights of people to health, of health workers to freedom of movement, and also countriesʼ responsibilities.

Lessons learned:  Findings from mixed methods research* will be used to mark Irelandʼs score card on: (i) ethical recruitment, (ii) treatment of its foreign nurses, and (iii) sustainability in health workforce production and retention. The presentation will examine Irelandʼs capacity to report progress in code implementation to the World Health Assembly in 2012

Next steps:  The new HSE-Irish Aid Global Health Support group will explore the need for establishing staff migration monitoring systems, which could benefit Irish workforce planning more broadly.

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• The global code on health worker migration-marking Ireland’s score card (623.5 KB)