title: Finding affordable health workforce targets in low-income nations.
abstract: To raise the awareness of a global crisis in human resources for health care, the World Health Organization has suggested a minimum target for all countries: 2.3 health professionals per 1,000 people. Many countries cannot afford to meet the target; in fact, funding the proposed number of health workers would require some countries to devote 50 percent of their gross domestic product to health. We offer an alternative solution that would allow governments to set targets that are realistic and achievable within their financial constraints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bossert
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003906:Developing Countries; D059066:Gross Domestic Product / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty; D014944:World Health Organization