Eko Hot Blog reports that the United Kingdom (UK) has placed Nigeria on the red list of countries that should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers.
The UK made the adjustment in its updated ‘Code of Practice’ for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel.
The move comes one month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed 55 countries, including Nigeria, facing the most pressing health workforce challenges related to Universal Health Coverage.
According to the new code posted on the website of the UK government, Nigeria and other countries on the red list should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers unless there was a government-to-government agreement.
It said the country identification follows the methodology contained in the 10-year review of relevance and effectiveness of the WHO global code of practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.
“Consistent with the WHO Global Code of Practice principles and articles, and as explicitly called for by the WHO Global Code of Practice 10-year review, the listed countries should be prioritised for health personnel development and health system-related support, provided with safeguards that discourage active international recruitment of health personnel,” the notice reads.
“Countries on the list should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers, recruitment organisations, agencies, collaborations, or contracting bodies unless there is a government-to-government agreement in place to allow managed recruitment undertaken strictly in compliance with the terms of that agreement.
“Countries on the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards list are graded red in the code. If a government-to-government agreement is put in place between a partner country, which restricts recruiting organisations to the terms of the agreement, the country is added to the amber list.”
The British government also stated that if a country was not on the red or amber list, then it is green.
The amber countries where international recruitment is only permitted in compliance with the terms of the government-to-government agreement are Kenya and Nepal.
However, the new code does not prevent individual health and social care personnel resident in countries on the red and amber country list from making a direct application on their own behalf to a health and social care employer without using a third party, such as a recruitment organisation, agency or collaboration.
The countries placed on the red list of ‘No active recruitment’ in alphabetical order are Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia.
Other countries are Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Republic of Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
This development comes days after the Nigerian House of Representatives advanced a bill to address brain drain. The bill, which has generated intense outrage, seeks to suspend awarding licences to qualified doctors until five years after graduation.
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