Brain drain and health professionals pubmed central pmc. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. The great south african brain drain personal loan news. However this brain drain might also be seen as a success in the training and export of health professionals and the benefits this provides. How can africa prevent the exportation of its educated citizens. Addressing brain drain european committee of the regions. Aug 16, 2016 the topic of south africas brain drain is not a new one, nor is it one that is likely to subside anytime soon. More specifically, the brain drain phenomenon refers to a regions permanent loss of skilled workers or. In this paper, we present the extent of the brain drain from middle east and north africa countries and focus on several oftenignored issues. Saharan african, which has raised concerns of skills and brain drain from these countries that are known to suffer from nurse shortages. A new data map shows which countries south africa s highly skilled workforce is moving to adding to a massive brain drain in the country. Brain drain, which is the emigration of skilled nationals, results in a depletion of skilled human resource in the countries of origin. The report, by the pollution research group at natal university in south africa, says the trend, known as brain drain, has strangled growth on the continent.
This paper attempts to answer this very question through examination of what is meant by brain drain, followed by analyzing the hard facts, significance and consequences for the continent. Many of the small countries, like cape verde, as well as some bigger countries like ghana and kenya, have high skilled emigration rates, as just defined, ranging from 67 % to 45 %. Everfaster brain drain and the nigerian medical brain drain is accelerating. Medical brain drain and health care worker shortages. It may sound like a medical procedure, but in fact its when highlyskilled workers such as doctors leave their home country to find better job. Contrary to a lot of the worries expressed in the media and in aid.
Conservation biologist kevin njabo tells his personal story of how he nearly became part of the group of african scientists who seek an. Support for, or complicity in, medical brain drain suggests a responsibility on the part of the destination area. Brain drain is defined by merriam webster as, a situation in which many educated or professional people leave a particular place or profession and move to another one that gives them better pay or living conditions. The net benefits of human capital flight for the receiving country are sometimes referred to as a brain gain whereas the net costs for the sending country are sometimes referred to as a brain drain. The flight of human capital is a phenomenon that has been of concern to academics and development practitioners for decades. We will never share your email address with third parties without your permission. Jun 20, 2008 the longterm solution to stemming migration and the brain drain is to ameliorate the basic, internal problems. Players will need us and world maps such as one typically finds in the atlas section of a geography textbook.
Brain drain, brain gain, and economic growth in china. Retention incentives for health workers in zimbabwe. The uk and other developed nations such as the usa, canada and australia have been recruiting internationally qualified nurses including those from sub. An economic perspective on malawis medical brain drain. Is there any solution to the brain drain of health. The push and pull factors of this brain drain are wideranging and complex, and depend upon the african country. This paper illustrates the arguments and possible policy options by focusing on. Impacted african countries should also focus on tapping the skills and finances in their respective diasporas and reinvesting in higher education. Is there any solution to the brain drain of health professionals and knowledge from africa. Apr, 2016 a new data map shows which countries south africas highly skilled workforce. The study is conducted to obtain baseline information about the profile of highly skilled african diaspora in the netherlands in. They explore the complexities of professional migration and its impact on the health of populations in source and recipient countries.
The attraction of higher pay and better opportunities for. In section 3 we describe existing evidence on the impact of brain drain on source countries. That something needs to be done about brain drain is not in question. However, better standards of living and quality of life, higher salaries, access to advanced technology and more stable political conditions in the developed countries attract talent from less. R, we in the united states and other resourceabundant areas must be cognizant of the moral relevance of this possible consequence. Brain drain in africa facts and figures the emigration of african professionals to the west is one of the greatest obstacles to africa s development.
The african union estimates that about 70,000 skilled professionals emigrate from africa every year. The brain drain and retention of health professionals in africa. William easterly yaw nyarko abstract w e build upon recent literature to do several exercises to assess bene. The brain drain from developing countries a brain drain can also have benefits for home countries. An analysis of the cause and effect of the brain drain in. Brain waste also occurs when health workers end up working outside the health sector. Reducing the brain drain will, in the long term reduce economically motivated crime. An afternoon skim through most of the tabloids, national newspapers and magazines dedicated to informing africans is met with an avalanche of adverts by companies promising heaven on earth for the youths that are ready to embrace the job opportunities proclaimed therein. Unemployment is related to jobless growth as human capital and entrepreneurs leave the country. Aug 24, 2018 when we look at the greatest resources of every nation, it is the human resource of the country. Brain drain, brain gain, and economic growth in china wei ha, junjian yi, and junsen zhang wei ha is policy specialist at the human development report office, united nations development programme.
What is the effect of brain drain in nigeria economy. Micro evidence from an african success story does emigration really drain human capital accumulation in origin countries. According to the cambridge dictionary 20 brain drain is defined as the situation in which large numbers of educated and very skilled people leave their own country to live and work in another where pay and conditions are better. Apr 28, 2017 only africa can put a stop to drain brain. Skills profile of the qualified african diaspora the skills profile of the qualified african diaspora interviewed illustrates highly developed skills and capacities in science and technology. This volume finds that while emigration may be beneficial in some cases, unhindered highskilled emigration, particularly in the case of subsaharan africa, can have disastrous consequences. Iza world of labor the brain drain from developing countries. The social environment in africa is also a source of brain drain. Feb 06, 2018 how can africans find solutions to africa s problems. Addressing human capital needs for post crisis zimbabwes capacity building abstract the concept of brain drain has been debated for. The concept of brain drain was first used by the british royal society to describe a. The brain drain has led to interesting intraafrican movements, including secondment by tanzania and south africa of nurses and doctors to swaziland. Brain drain is the result of growing competition for talent and is found in regions where there are weak incentives for highly skilled workers and students to remain. These nurses operate at any level of the health service and are not confined to obstetric care.
United nations economic commission for africa eca african governments have a great responsibility to ensure that brains remain in the continent. Impact of brain drain on the quality of education in moi. In the 1980s, this postindependence euphoria gave way to disenchantment in most african countries. Alongside positive feedback effects from remittances, circular migration, and the participation of highskilled migrants in business networks, innovation, and transfers of technology, consider the effect of figure 2. Loss of special skills like doctors, engineers, scientists etc lose of the best brains it needs for its trade and industri. Its main feature was that it was temporary at least in its intention.
In this article, i will comprehensively discuss the problem of brain drain in nigeria. We build upon recent literature to do several exercises to assess benefits and costs of the brain drain to africa. In our discussion on female and medical brain drain from africa we will report the. Brain drain, has been one of the greatest obstacles to the development of the continent. Migrants leave one country for another as a result of strong attractions associated with differentials in living conditions, opportunities for.
Brain drain is defined as the migration of skilled human resources in search of the better standard of living and quality of life, attractive salaries, worldclass education, opportunities for career advancement, access to advanced technology and more stable political conditions in different places worldwide sunita dodani and ronald e laporte, 2005. Healthcare woes as doctors flee brain drain impacting healthcare sector as most nigerian doctors seek better work conditions and pay abroad. Understanding the braindrain in the african diaspora. How we can stop africas scientific brain drain kevin njabo. In this issue, three papers discuss the issue of the brain drain. Retention incentives for health workers in zimbabwe mj chimbari, d madhina, f nyamangara, h. Apr 14, 2015 forbes takes privacy seriously and is committed to transparency. Critical issues on brain drain brain drain has not only affected african countries but it is also a global phenomenon. Population division department of economic and social affairs, united nations secretariat, beirut. For this reason sirdc was commissioned to undertake this study with the objective of establishing what the causes of the brain drain are and identify the measures required to reduce or stop, or even reverse the brain drain problem in zimbabwe. Brain drain in africa facts and figures the emigration of african professionals to the west is one of the greatest obstacles to africas development. While there has been a plethora of studies that addresses migration in africa, many have yet to successfully unpack the effects of brain drain on the south african health sector. The aim of this paper is to highlight causes and solutions to intellectual brain drain in pakistan. The brain drain in africa yaw nyarko introduction increased attention has recently been paid to the phenomenon of the brain drain of skilled and often unskilled africans from their home countries to countries in the west.
How brain drain destroys africas economy it is not a topic people often talk about but it is an issue we need to tackle as a people if we are to develop as a continent. Human capital flight refers to the emigration or immigration of individuals who have received advanced training at home. Too many of the continents best minds leave their home country to study and work abroad, many of whom never return to the place they were born. The analysis starts with a simple decomposition of the brain drain in two. Nigeria must tackle its doctor brain drain the africa. Aug 01, 2005 the fact that brain drain is not always, but can be a major problem in some sectors in some countries, presents at least two important challenges for research. The topic of south africa s brain drain is not a new one, nor is it one that is likely to subside anytime soon. Oct 24, 20 brain drain in middle east and north africa the patterns under the surface.
While the brain drain has long been viewed as detrimental to poor countrys growth potential, recent economic research has emphasized. The brain drain and retention of health professionals in africa delanyo dovlo introduction the african continent is facing a health crisis occasioned by a number of factors that have affected the sector over the past two decades or more. Aftermaths of brain drain in exaggerated regions of the globalized world. Campbell patterns of skilled immigration while southern africa has received considerable number of skilled immigrants from other parts of africa and other continents, several of its skilled populations have also migrated to work and live. The phenomena of brain drain has left harmful effects in the region of poor countries like africa, because of their great hope, talents and skills have immigrated to. Rs training program does not intend to worsen brain drain by hosting dr. Includes 32 colorful bingo gameboards and 80 question cards which cover dozens of geography vocabulary terms and give students practice in using latitude and latitude to find locations of us states, countries, and bodies of water. Brain drain is the migration of skilled human resources for trade, education, etc.
Prompted by a comment from former commonwealth secretarygeneral emeka anyaoku, africa check revealed that the uk had 5,250 nigeriantrained doctors on its books in april 2018, a rise of 10% on the previous year. This map shows where all south africas skilled workers. Kimani tracy ngina r50p92802004 university of nairobi. United nations expert group meeting on international migration and development in the arab region.
Contrary to a lot of the worries expressed in the media and in aid agencies, the brain drain is probably a net bene. Adefusika, 2 introduction the mass departure of africas intellectual and skilled population to western nations, called the braindrain, has been one of the greatest obstacles to the development of the continent. Causes and solutions to intellectual brain drain in. Pdf effects of brain drain on the south african health. Unesco 2005 cites a massive emigration of skilled professionals from croatia, yugoslavia, bosnia and members of the european union eu. Apr 19, 2004 south africa can do a lot internally to reduce the brain drain.
Termed the brain drain, it represents the loss of highly skilled professionals from a source country to a recipient country. The medical brain drain has been described as rich countries looting doctors and nurses from developing countries undermining their health systems and public health. Thus, family reasons are of a paramount importance for the choice. Jul 24, 2015 with africa still struggling to accomplish systemic economic development, how will the continent achieve this feat in face of its brain drain problem. In the two decades after independence, the african brain drain followed the logic of a wider migration movement. Nigeria, in particular, is suffering from the shortage of professionals and skillful individuals necessary for the advancement of the nations capital. The newly created mini learning fund enables trade. Only africa can put a stop to drain brain east africa monitor. The democratic republic of the congo drc, a country in desperate need of medical staff, offered doctors to zimbabwe, a country now facing an even more serious brain drain and the loss of.
Reassessing the impacts of brain drain on developing countries. This paper explores a unique household survey purposely designed and conducted to answer this specific question for the case of cape verde the african country with the largest fraction of. Further, the brain drain today is almost exclusively an african phenomenon. We will be looking precisely on the causes, effects and solutions to brain drain in nigeria. Skills and brain drain and the movement of skilled migrants in southern africa prof. The brain drain academic and skilled migration to the uk. William easterly and yaw nyarko new york university july 2007 rev.
The term brain drain designates the international transfer of human resources and mainly applies to the migration of relatively highly educated individuals from developing to developed countries. Alongside positive feedback effects from remittances, circular migration, and the participation of highskilled migrants in business networks, innovation, and transfers of. It is the major indicator of the future of the country. Causes and solutions to intellectual brain drain in pakistan nadia sajjad. Abstract brain drain is the cynosure of all the eyes due to high outflow of qualified and skilled workers from pakistan. The skills and brain drain what nurses say likupe 20. Muula department of community health, university of malawi college of medicine, blantyre, malawi abstract african public health care systems suffer from signifi cant brain drain of its health care professionals.
In africa, moving from a brain drain to a brain gain forbes. Junjian yi is doctoral student at the economics department of the chinese university of hong kong. It is an issue almost all third world countries face and the poor countries in africa are perhaps its hardest hit victims. Africa is a continent where the family in conceived is its extended form and, solidarity demands are enormous. The unseen, supportive hand of governments in uplifting brain drain.
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