News

4th September 2003

EU Must Stem the Drain of Medical Skills from the Developing World

The poaching of doctors and other medical staff by the developed world must be controlled to protect the health of those in developing countries, according to a report passed by the European Parliament today.

According to the World Health Organisation, developing countries lose 63,000 doctors annually and receive back only 1,300.

The report also focuses on the fight against disease in developing countries and calls on the European Commission to recognise that the focus on three diseases (HIV, TB and Malaria) is too limited and that there is a need to extend attention and support to other areas of healthcare such as action to combat diarrhoeal diseases, and also to the problems linked to areas such as mental and physical disorder.

John Bowis MEP, Conservative Health Spokesman in the European Parliament and author of the report, said:

"The gap between the developed and the developing world will continue to grow if the former continues to poach the best doctors and nurses from the latter.

"A country cannot function successfully without a healthy workforce and a workforce cannot remain healthy without adequate sanitary conditions, clean water and access to well trained medical staff.

"The EU must take a lead and end all dealings with agencies who trade in doctors and nurses from the developing world."