A devastating blow: personal reflections on Argentina's scientific decline.

As an Argentine scientist, the defunding of CONICET and INTA feels like a blow to progress and our future. Despite free education, these cuts force talented researchers to seek opportunities abroad. Argentina's history of scientific achievement, from Nobel Prizes to COVID-19 vaccines, is at risk. Defunding science weakens our ability to solve problems and compete globally.

Harnessing peer mentorship as a tool to turn human resource for health brain drain into brain gain: a case study of a Nigerian peer-mentored research group.

BACKGROUND: Peer mentorship can be a potential tool to reduce the disparities in health research capacity between high- and low- and middle-income countries. This case study describes the potential of peer mentorship to tackle two critical issues: bridging health research capacity of doctors from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the transformation of human resource for health brain drain into "brain gain". CASE PRESENTATION: In 2021, a virtual peer mentorship group was established by 16 alumni of the University of Benin College of Medical Sciences' 2008 graduating class, residing across three continents. This program aimed to facilitate research collaboration and skill development among colleagues with diverse research experience levels, fostering a supportive environment for career development in research. The group relied heavily on digital technology to carry out its activities due to the different geographical locations of the group members. Led by experienced peer leaders, the group fostered a collaborative learning environment where members leveraged each other's expertise. Within 18 months, we published two research papers in high-impact peer-reviewed global health journals, launched a mixed-methods research study, and conducted training sessions on research design and implementation. Findings from our work were presented at conferences and workshops. However, logistical hurdles, competing priorities, structural constraints, and uneven participation presented challenges. CONCLUSION: The peer mentorship collaboration has achieved some successes so far, and this model can be emulated by other cohorts of medical professionals across LMICs. Despite the group's success at a micro- or individual level, there remain significant structural barriers to research capacity building in LMICs that can only be addressed at the meso- and macro-levels by institutions and government, respectively. A systems-level approach is required to develop and support research capacity building and foster global research collaboration and effectively turn brain drain into brain gain.

Brain drain in pediatric anesthesiology: The geographic and demographic distribution of national origin among pediatric anesthesiologists in the United States.

BACKGROUND: American pediatric anesthesiologists have a long history of international volunteerism. However, the US healthcare system also benefits from the contributions of a large number of physicians who come from other nations to work within its borders. Despite this fact, little is known about the contribution of international medical graduates (IMG) to the pediatric anesthesiology subspecialty. AIMS: To characterize the contribution of IMG to the field of pediatric anesthesiology in the United States, and to elucidate the geographic and demographic distribution of their national origins so as to understand the movement of skilled personnel between countries. METHODS: Online physician directories of American children's hospitals were searched, and anesthesiologists were recorded for their national origin of medical education. International graduates were reported as a percentage of the pediatric anesthesiology workforce. Those attending medical colleges catering to American students ("offshore" medical schools) were analyzed separately from other IMGs. The cohort of non-offshore IMGs were analyzed for national and continental origins, and by national level of economic development. RESULTS: Of 1979 anesthesiologists analyzed, 397 attended medical school outside the United States, with 58 being from offshore schools. The remaining 338 represented 17.1% of the total pediatric anesthesiology workforce. They came from 58 countries on six continents. Of those, 65.1% attended medical school in low- and middle-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: International medical graduates, disproportionately from low- and middle-income countries, compose a large proportion of the US Pediatric Anesthesiology workforce. While these clinicians play a vital role in providing care for American children, the potential impacts of skilled physician loss on their nations of origin must also be considered.

The Sociodemographic Characteristics of Indian Nursing Students and Their Intentions to Migrate Overseas for Work.

India being the second largest nurse exporter to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, currently faces a shortage of 2.4 million nurses. The problem of nurse shortage has been aggravated by the COVID pandemic. The young age at which the Indian nurses migrate, suggests that the decision to work overseas is made probably at the time of pursuing the studies or probably one pursues nursing because it opens the opportunity for working overseas. The objective of this study was to assess the intensions of nursing students to pursue overseas career on completion of their studies. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to collect data from 1408 nursing students from across four states of India namely, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Rajasthan using a google survey form. The major finding of the study was that 54% of the respondents intended to migrate overseas. Better career advancement opportunities, better working conditions, higher pay, better lifestyle, were the reasons cited by those who had an intension to migrate. Establishing norms for nurse-patient ratios, and scope of work along with pay scales for nurses with various qualifications and experience could be the most strategic moves that the policy makers can consider to control brain drain in nursing and control nurse migration.

Original Research: Nurses' Attitudes Toward Brain Drain and the Associated Factors.

BACKGROUND: Brain drain refers to the emigration of scientists and other educated professionals from a low- or middle-income country to a high-income country for work. In recent years, this trend has increased, particularly in the health care arena. Prior studies among nurses and nursing students indicate that migration mainly occurs from low- and lower middle-income countries to high-income countries. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of Turkish nurses, nurse academics, and nursing students toward brain drain and the factors associated with these attitudes. METHODS: The study used a mixed-methods research design. The quantitative part of the study was conducted with 1,018 participants. The qualitative part was conducted with 26 participants from the larger sample who volunteered for focus group interviews. Data were collected from June through August 2022 using an online survey, the Attitude Scale for Brain Drain, and a semistructured interview guide. RESULTS: Of all participants, 84.3% indicated that they wanted to work and live abroad. Nearly 95% stated that there was a risk of brain drain in the nursing profession, with economic factors given as the most significant reason. As age and years of professional experience increased, brain drain tendency decreased. Nurses and nursing students had higher brain drain tendencies than nurse academics. In focus group interviews, participants reported concern that the brain drain might lead to losses in the qualified nursing workforce and increase the workload for the remaining nurses in the migrant-sending country, while cultural adaptation issues can be difficult for nurses in the migrant-receiving country. CONCLUSIONS: Brain drain in the nursing profession continues to be a current, crucial problem. This study showed that among Turkish nurses, nursing students, and nurse academics, the desire to work abroad was quite high, and all three groups had high brain drain tendency scores. Brain drain has serious consequences for both migrant-receiving and migrant-sending countries. These findings can help inform the development of initiatives aimed at preventing or mitigating nursing brain drain.

Brain drain in South Africa is affecting health care.

No abstract available.

Factors Affecting Brain Drain and a Solution to Reduce it in Iran's Health System: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Brain drain is an issue of concern in developing countries. Many factors are involved in this issue, and their identification can be a good guide for decision-makers at different management levels. Therefore, the present study was carried out to identify the factors affecting brain drain and solutions to reduce it in Iran's health system. METHODS: The data for this qualitative study was collected in 2023 through 15 semi-structured interviews with Iranian health experts and emigrant elites. Interviews were collected both face-to-face and virtually (on Skype and Google Meet) and analyzed using the thematic content analysis method. RESULTS: Data analysis of the factors affecting brain drain in Iran's health system yielded seven main categories and 45 subcategories. The main categories were "individual factors," "economic factors," "social and cultural factors," "organizational and administrative factors," "political factors," "attraction factors for destination countries," and "attraction factors of destination countries for elites." Also, the solutions were divided into four categories of "economic," "social," "organizational and scientific," and "political" factors and 19 subcategories. CONCLUSION: Due to the increase in brain drain in recent years, it is necessary to make a serious decision in dealing with this issue. Solutions such as creating stable economic conditions, creating an atmosphere of hope, increasing respect and dignity for elite students by politicians, using the elites in macro-decisions, and creating the job rank for honorary professors can lead to reducing brain drain and decreasing the costs of the health system.

Unveiling Sri Lanka's brain drain and labour market pressure: A study of macroeconomic factors on migration.

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of GDP per capita income (GDPPCI), unemployment, higher education (HE), and economic growth (EG) on migration in Sri Lanka. Numerous global and local studies have explored the influence of macroeconomic and socioeconomic factors on migration. In the Sri Lankan context, fewer studies have probed the impact of GDPPCI, unemployment, HE, and EG on migration, particularly concerning brain drain and domestic labour market pressure. An applied research methodology was adopted, utilising annual data from 1986 to 2022. The statistical data were sourced from reports by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Labor Force Survey Data from the Department of Census and Statistics (LFSDCS), and University Grants Commissions (UGC). This study utilised the Vector Error Correlation model (VECM), Vector Auto-regression (VAR), and Granger Causality test through STATA. The empirical findings of the VAR model highlighted that GDPPCI and EG negatively impact migration, whereas unemployment and HE positively affect migration. The study's implications demonstrated that GDPPCI, unemployment, HE, and EG were the primary factors influencing the country's migration decisions. These findings will hopefully inform and guide the Sri Lankan government and policymakers for more effective decision-making.

Investing in Africa's scientific future.

Africa bears a disproportionate burden of infectious diseases, accounting for a substantial percentage of global cases. Malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, cholera, Ebola, Lassa fever, and other tropical diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya, have had a profound impact on morbidity and mortality. Various factors contribute to the higher prevalence and incidence of infectious diseases in Africa, including socioeconomic challenges, limited access to health care, inadequate sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, climate-related factors, and endemicity of certain diseases in specific regions. A skilled workforce is crucial to addressing these challenges. Unfortunately, many countries in Africa often lack the required resources, and aspiring scientists frequently seek educational and career opportunities abroad, leading to a substantial loss of talent and expertise from the continent. This talent migration, referred to as "brain drain," exacerbates the existing training gaps and hampers the sustainability of research within Africa.

Brain Drain in Cancer Care: The Shrinking Clinical Oncology Workforce in Nigeria.

PURPOSE: A recent estimate indicates that Nigeria has about 70 clinical oncologists (COs) providing care for 124,815 patients with cancer and its 213 million total population. This staggering deficit is likely to worsen as about 90% of Nigerian physicians are eager to leave the country for perceived greener pastures in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, etc. Previous studies have examined general physician migration abroad; however, the CO workforce in Nigeria has been barely considered in the workforce literature. This study examined the push and pull factors to stay or leave the CO workforce and Nigeria. METHODS: Using a correlational design, 64 COs completed turnover intention (TI), workload, and satisfaction measures. Multiple linear regression was used for the data analysis. RESULTS: The results show that CO workload (number of outpatients attended to; r = 0.30, P < .01) and satisfaction with the delivery of CO care (r = 0.23, P < .05) were significantly related to TI. The number of outpatients seen was also positively linked to TI. Hence, the more outpatients a CO sees, the higher the intention to leave. The United States (31%), the United Kingdom (30%), and Canada (10%) were the top countries of destinations for Nigerian COs. CONCLUSION: Higher CO workload is a push factor propelling the intention to leave CO practice and relocate to other countries. Nigeria's new National Cancer Control Plan and the Federal Ministry of Health need to explore innovative approaches to attract and retain the CO workforce, which would lead to improvement in cancer survival and outcomes. Increasing the number of CO programs and positions available, improving work conditions, and introducing work benefits may mitigate the shrinking CO workforce in Nigeria.