Human resources for maternal, newborn and child health: from measurement and planning to performance for improved health outcomes.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing attention, globally and in countries, to monitoring and addressing the health systems and human resources inputs, processes and outputs that impede or facilitate progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health. We reviewed the situation of human resources for health (HRH) in 68 low- and middle-income countries that together account for over 95% of all maternal and child deaths. METHODS: We collected and analysed cross-nationally comparable data on HRH availability, distribution, roles and functions from new and existing sources, and information from country reviews of HRH interventions that are associated with positive impacts on health services delivery and population health outcomes. RESULTS: Findings from 68 countries demonstrate availability of doctors, nurses and midwives is positively correlated with coverage of skilled birth attendance. Most (78%) of the target countries face acute shortages of highly skilled health personnel, and large variations persist within and across countries in workforce distribution, skills mix and skills utilization. Too few countries appropriately plan for, authorize and support nurses, midwives and community health workers to deliver essential maternal, newborn and child health-care interventions that could save lives. CONCLUSIONS: Despite certain limitations of the data and findings, we identify some key areas where governments, international partners and other stakeholders can target efforts to ensure a sufficient, equitably distributed and efficiently utilized health workforce to achieve MDGs 4 and 5.

The role of midwives in first-trimester abortion care: A 40-year experience in Tunisia.

OBJECTIVE: To review the relevant literature on abortion and summarize interviews with key stakeholders to assess the role of midwives in the evolution of abortion-related care in Tunisia. METHODS: Interviews with eight stakeholders from different organizations based on a guide developed for the study, focusing on policies, strategies used for implementation, capacities used for expansion, user opinions and experience, obstacles and facilitators, and control and evaluation. RESULTS: Task-sharing for midwifes was encouraged in the family planning program from the beginning and when medical abortion was introduced. It allows midwifes to contribute widely, develop good skills and performance for several tasks, and helps reduce regional disparities in human resource allocation. Success and safety of home use of medical abortion confirms the ability of women to manage their own abortion. Yet, obstacles to accessing abortion still exist for several reasons. CONCLUSION: This study, based on interviews with personnel with significant experience and solid knowledge of sexual and reproductive health services, allowed us to consider proposals for a future strategy to integrate task-sharing into abortion care and address the barriers to legal and safe abortion access for all women in Tunisia.

Fatal cardiac arrest following blunt chest trauma 17 years after a Senning operation.

Although frequent in patients who have undergone Senning or Mustard operations, cardiac arrhythmias after blunt chest trauma have not been reported. We report the case of a 17-year-old boy with ventricular fibrillation after a minor blow to the chest.

Sexual and reproductive health and HIV services: integrating HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer prevention and control.

People living with HIV are at an increased risk of acquiring HPV and of developing evolutive cervical cancers (women) and penile and anal cancers (men). Low-cost screening-visual inspection with acetic acid, HPV DNA diagnostics and primary care level treatment, cryotherapy for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2), and primary prevention through HPV vaccination of girls aged 9-13 years-makes the goal of eliminating cervical cancer possible in the long term. Integration of cervical cancer screening and treatment into a sexual and reproductive health service package raises programmatic questions and calls for a continuum of care. The latter is only possible when adequate cytopathology skills and treatment for advanced cancer conditions are available. The present paper highlights the role of member societies of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) in developing the base for an integrated package that responds to women's sexual and reproductive health needs.