Human resources for health
Health workers are the most critical element in delivering good quality health services and fulfilling the goal of any health service. Placing the health workers at the centre of achieving health for all, the WHO dedicated its World Health Report 2006 to the topic of human resources for health. According to WHO, the definition of a health worker is quite broad and includes “..all people engaged in the promotion, protection or improvement of the health of the population”. Dal Poz and others in 2007 note that health services depend critically on the size, skills, and commitment of the health workforce. Health workforce strengthening is also an important element of health systems strengthening (Click here to see the strategy advocated by WHO). To improve the publication and dissemination of evidence, WHO has founded a journal “Human resources for Health”.
IPH is committed to the improving and strengthening research on human resources for health. In addition to direct capacity-building interventions – strengthening district health management through capacity-building of district and taluka health managers in collaboration with Government of Karnataka , IPH also undertakes research on health workforce and ways and mechanisms for improving them.
One of the PhD studies focusses on using mixed methods and realist evaluation in understanding the mechanisms through which managers improve their practices in response to capacity-building interventions.
Current projects
- How does capacity-building of health managers through training interventions work?
- HR Study in Karnataka and Gujarat