New investments, innovative strategies needed to train health professionals for developing world

Noting "[t]he WHO has estimated that there is a global shortage of more than four million trained health care workers," Robert Bollinger, professor of infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, writes in the Huffington Post "Impact" blog, "It is very clear that new and innovative strategies are needed to train the large number of health professionals needed for Africa, Asia, and Latin America." He continues, "It is also clear that these strategies must ensure that the quality of training is excellent and that there are new efforts to support the long-term training of graduates in their own communities, to reduce brain drain, and to ensure that the communities they serve benefit from more and better trained health care providers."

"New investments and innovations in [information and communication technologies (ICT)] are a disruptive and positive force for global change," Bollinger writes, adding, "It is time for the global leaders in health care programs, governments, and academia to partner with ICT innovators and companies to more effectively leverage and scale the power of ICT for improved training of health care workers in the most resource-limited communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America." He writes, "This is the goal of the [Global Health Education and Technology Summit (GETHealth Summit)]," scheduled to take place at U.N. headquarters in New York City in February. He concludes, "If you share this mission and vision, please register soon for this important gathering in February 2013. ... Your participation in the GETHealth Summit is crucial to ensuring that health care workers around the world are well-trained and supported to care for our neighbors and communities with the greatest needs" (11/12).