Manpower development in the health sector: the case of community health workers in Nigeria

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Periodical article

Title:	Manpower development in the health sector: the case of community health workers in Nigeria
Authors:	Jinadu, M. Ogundeji, M.O.
Year:	1989
Periodical:	Quarterly Journal of Administration
Volume:	24
Issue:	4
Pages:	318-328
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Nigeria
Subjects:	on-the-job training health personnel
Abstract:	The development of a new cadre of community health workers (CHWs) as an alternative strategy for solving the problem of acute shortage of manpower for the primary health care (PHC) programme in Nigeria is the focus of this paper. It briefly highlights the main health problems necessitating the adoption of PHC as a major health policy in the country and describes the concepts of PHC and CHW. The training programmes established for the CHWs (selection, training curriculum, training schools) and poor absorption of the CHWs into the PHC system are discussed. Factors identified as constraining the programme include lack of adherence to the criteria for the selection of students, acute shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate training facilities for students, and inadequate organizational structures within which trained CHWs can function satisfactorily. Ref.