Public-private options for expanding access to human resources for HIV/AIDS in Botswana

doi:10.1186/1478-4491-5-25

Human Resources for Health

Volume 5

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Nyoni J
Mokopakgosi O
Seipone K
Kalilani JA
Kaluwa O
Musowe V

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Nyoni J
Mokopakgosi O
Seipone K
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Kaluwa O
Musowe V
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Public-private options for expanding access to human resources for HIV/AIDS in Botswana

Norbert Dreesch¹ , Jennifer Nyoni² , Ontlametse Mokopakgosi³ , Khumo Seipone⁴ , Jean Alfazema Kalilani⁵ , Owen Kaluwa⁶ and Vincent Musowe⁵^,7

¹Human Resources for Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

²Human Resources for Health Management, World Health Organization, Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo

³Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana

⁴Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care, Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana

⁵World Health Organization, Botswana

⁶HIV, World Health Organization, Botswana

⁷Ministry of Health, Zambia

author email corresponding author email

Human Resources for Health 2007, 5:25doi:10.1186/1478-4491-5-25


Published:	19 October 2007

Abstract

In responding to the goal of rapidly increasing access to antiretroviral treatment (ART), the government of Botswana undertook a major review of its health systems options to increase access to human resources, one of the major bottlenecks preventing people from receiving treatment. In mid-2004, a team of government and World Health Organization (WHO) staff reviewed the situation and identified a number of public sector scale up options. The team also reviewed the capacity of private practitioners to participate in the provision of ART. Subsequently, the government created a mechanism to include private practitioners in rolling out ART. At the end of 2006, more than 4500 patients had been transferred to the private sector for routine follow up. It is estimated that the cooperation reduced the immediate need for recruiting up to 40 medically qualified staff into the public sector over the coming years, depending on the development of the national standard for the number and duration of patient visits to a doctor per year. Thus welcome relief was brought, while at the same time not exercising a pull factor on human resources for health in the sub-Saharan region.