MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

29.3.2006

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis and Eoin Ryan
on behalf of the UEN Group
on World Health Day

B6‑0228/2006

European Parliament resolution on World Health Day

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to World Health Day on 7 April 2006, which will be devoted to healthcare workers,

–  having regard to the Health Workforce Decade (2006-2015), which will be launched on World Health Day,

–  having regard to the Commission’s Communication on an EU Strategy for Action on the Crisis in Human Resources for Health in Developing Countries, adopted on 12 December 2005,

–  having regard to the High-Level Forum on the Health MDGs held in Abuja in December 2004, and to its conclusions,

–  having regard to the Development Policy Statement signed by the Commission, Council and Parliament in December 2005,

–  having regard to the World Bank report on healthcare ‘Reaching the Poor: What Works, What Doesn’t and Why’, published on 7 December 2005,

–  having regard to the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, adopted by the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS) in June 2001, and its forthcoming Comprehensive Review and High-Level Meeting in June 2006,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas there is a critical shortage of health workers in many parts of the developing world, with migration both from and within poorer regions,

B.  whereas the problems affecting the healthcare workforce, such as loss of personnel and productivity, and migration from the public to the private sector, as well as to richer countries, are caused not only by financial factors but by lack of good management, inadequate training, poor career opportunities and unsatisfactory working environments in developing countries, and increasing demand for healthcare professionals in industrialised countries,

C.  whereas the negative impact of HIV/AIDS on the general health situation in developing countries has been great, with a knock-on effect on the health workforce in the form of reduced numbers of personnel and general health service distortions resulting from the emphasis on coping with HIV/AIDS,

D.  whereas the European Union has an important role to play in providing and supporting an international response, which must be given rapidly,

E.  whereas concrete action is needed before this crisis comes to a head, with possible catastrophic effects on the world’s populations,

1.  Welcomes the celebration of World Day of Health on 7 April and its focus on the shortage of health workers in developing as well as developed countries;

2.  Welcomes the EU Strategy for Action on the Crisis in Human Resources for Health in Developing Countries;

3.  Supports the actions proposed in the EU Strategy for Action to reverse the loss of health workers from developing countries through measures such as better training, career opportunities and remuneration, retention incentives, safe working conditions, cooperation with disease-specific initiatives, twinning arrangements, voluntary support and the dissemination of best practice and technical support;

4.  Welcomes the undertaking within the EU Strategy for Action to make development assistance less volatile and more predictable;

5.  Stresses the need for EU and international support for regional cooperation to promote skill sharing, training, capacity building, comparison of best practice and pooling of resources; underlines that such cooperation can be particularly useful in addressing difficult health situations in post-conflict or post-disaster situations;

6.  Calls for the EU and its Member States to press for the setting up of a global Code of Conduct for Ethical Recruitment;

7.  Calls for the Member States that are importers of healthcare workers from the developing countries to work in partnership with these countries to support solutions, addressing both the push and pull factors of migration and helping finance retention policies;

8.  Calls for the EU Member States themselves to build an adequate long-term health workforce plan in order to meet internal demand and minimise the negative implications for developing countries;

9.  Believes that the first step in combating this trend is to provide training and better working conditions for health workers in the areas concerned, to offer incentives to encourage them to work where they are most needed and to supply them with vaccinations in anticipation of potential pandemics;

10.  Calls on developing countries to restore their public and basic healthcare systems and services and for the EU to support this process through aid for the reinforcement of human and institutional capacities and infrastructure, including an improvement in working conditions for medical staff, provision of suitable medical equipment and transfer of technology;

11.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Member State Heads of Government, the Heads of Government of all developing countries, and the World Health Organisation.