The Brain Drain Potential of Students in the African Health and Nonhealth Sectors

Abstract

The departure of health professionals to Europe and North America is placing an intolerable burden on public health systems in many African countries. Various retention, recall, and replacement policies to ameliorate the impact of this brain drain have been suggested, none of which have been particularly successful to date. The key question for the future is whether the brain drain of health sector skills is likely to continue and whether the investment of African countries in training health professionals will continue to be lost through emigration. This paper examines the emigration intentions of trainee health professionals in six Southern African countries. The data was collected by the Southern African Migration Program (SAMP) in a survey of final-year students across the region which included 651 students training for the health professions. The data also allows for the comparison of health sector with other students. The analysis presented in this paper shows very high emigration potential amongst all finalyear students. Health sector students do show a slightly higher inclination to leave than those training to work in other sectors. These findings present a considerable challenge for policy makers seeking to encourage students to stay at home and work after graduation.

The brain drain potential of skilled health workers from sub-Saharan Africa: A case study of pharmacy students in Nigeria

“…This study revealed that high emigration potential was more likely for respondents younger than 25 years. Expectations about the future also influence migration and promote brain drain (Crush and Pendleton, 2012). This study showed overall low future expectation score is in line with an existing study of students in health and non-health sectors in southern African countries (Crush and…”

“…Pendleton, 2012). Evidence indicates that negative perception towards the future, by students in the health professions, including pharmacy, is associated with the intention to migrate, for the long term (Crush and Pendleton, 2012), while a positive future expectation is linked to short term emigration and intention to remain or return to the country of origin (Owusu-Daaku et al, 2008;Wuliji et al, 2009). The overall low future expectation reported in this study is also in tandem with an existing study of pharmacy students in Ghana in which only a few respondents expressed optimism regarding possible future opportunities while others perceived pharmacy as being routine and lacking in challenges and prospects of making a real contribution to patient care (Owusu-Daaku et al, 2008).…”

International medical migration: A critical conceptual review of the global movements of doctors and nurses

“…Although research has most often focussed on particular countries’ loss of professionals (e.g. Chikanda, 2005a; Crush and Pendleton, 2012) and others have noted the significant differences between African countries (e.g. Niger compared to Ghana; Clemens and Pettersson, 2008), the emigration of skilled health-care workers has nonetheless come to be talked about as a highly pressing sub-Saharan African public health problem.…”

Brain Drain in the Health Sector: A Medical Students Perspective

“…The sample size is calculated and determined using the formula. 16 where: n = the minimum sample size…”