BackgroundThere is increasing attention, globally and in countries, to monitoring and addressing the health systems and human resources inputs, processes and outputs that impede or facilitate progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health. We reviewed the situation of human resources for health (HRH) in 68 low- and middle-income countries that together account for over 95% of all maternal and child deaths.MethodsWe collected and analysed cross-nationally comparable data on HRH availability, distribution, roles and functions from new and existing sources, and information from country reviews of HRH interventions that are associated with positive impacts on health services delivery and population health outcomes.ResultsFindings from 68 countries demonstrate availability of doctors, nurses and midwives is positively correlated with coverage of skilled birth attendance. Most (78%) of the target countries face acute shortages of highly skilled health personnel, and large variations persist within and across countries in workforce distribution, skills mix and skills utilization. Too few countries appropriately plan for, authorize and support nurses, midwives and community health workers to deliver essential maternal, newborn and child health-care interventions that could save lives.ConclusionsDespite certain limitations of the data and findings, we identify some key areas where governments, international partners and other stakeholders can target efforts to ensure a sufficient, equitably distributed and efficiently utilized health workforce to achieve MDGs 4 and 5.

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People living with HIV are at an increased risk of acquiring HPV and of developing evolutive cervical cancers (women) and penile and anal cancers (men). Low-cost screening-visual inspection with acetic acid, HPV DNA diagnostics and primary care level treatment, cryotherapy for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2), and primary prevention through HPV vaccination of girls aged 9-13 years-makes the goal of eliminating cervical cancer possible in the long term. Integration of cervical cancer screening and treatment into a sexual and reproductive health service package raises programmatic questions and calls for a continuum of care. The latter is only possible when adequate cytopathology skills and treatment for advanced cancer conditions are available. The present paper highlights the role of member societies of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) in developing the base for an integrated package that responds to women's sexual and reproductive health needs.

The present study was designed to test the effect of acute administration of dexamethasone on the postcastration and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced rise of LH, and to examine whether the inhibitory action of glucocorticoids on LH secretion was mediated by the opioid system. Rats were castrated and injected 10-10.5 h later in a first set of experiments with saline, dexamethasone (250 micrograms/rat), nalmefene (2 mg/kg body weight) or nalmefene plus dexamethasone. The response to GnRH was tested 11 h after castration (time 0) in all groups. Dexamethasone caused a significant (P less than 0.005) decrease in basal serum concentrations of LH, while saline and nalmefene did not induce any change. The administration of dexamethasone preceded by nalmefene increased basal concentrations of LH (1.6 times), with an effect significantly greater than that of dexamethasone (P less than 0.001), nalmefene (P less than 0.05) or saline (P less than 0.005) alone. GnRH induced a significant (P less than 0.001) increase in serum concentrations of LH in all groups. In a second set of experiments, administration of naloxone (2 mg/kg body weight) increased LH levels (P less than 0.05) and similarly reversed the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on LH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)