Kenya is among the countries that are grappling with shortage of health personnel, partly because of health personnel migration and largely because of weak health systems unable to adequately train and recruit sufficient health personnel. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has adopted global code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel during its Sixty Third Session held on May 21, 2010. The Code is particularly important to Kenya in addressing personnel shortage through international cooperation for personnel recruitment and/or regulating personnel migration to other countries from Kenya. The Code provides ethical principles applicable to the international recruitment of health personnel in a manner that strengthens the health systems of developing countries, countries with economies in transition and small island states.

The Code aims to achieve the following:

• to establish and promote voluntary principles and practices for the ethical international recruitment of health personnel, taking into account the rights, obligations and expectations of source countries, destination countries and migrant health personnel;
• to serve as a reference for Member States in establishing or improving the legal and institutional framework required for the international recruitment of health personnel;
• to provide guidance that may be used where appropriate in the formulation and implementation of bilateral agreements and other international legal instruments;
• to facilitate and promote international discussion and advance cooperation on matters related to the ethical international recruitment of health personnel as part of strengthening health systems, with a particular focus on the situation of developing countries.

The Code encourages Member States to take its provisions into account when developing their national health policies and cooperating with each other, as appropriate. The Code urges developed countries to provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition aimed at strengthening health systems, including health personnel development. The Code provides that international recruitment of health personnel should be conducted in accordance with the principles of transparency, fairness and promotion of sustainability of health systems in developing countries. The Code requires Member States to undertake effective gathering of national and international data, research and sharing of information on international recruitment of health personnel.

The Kenyan government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, is working on a reform agenda that aims to strengthen health systems including measures for health personnel development -recruit more health personnel, improve distribution, motivation and retention. The GTZ Health Sector Programme is supporting the reform agenda in the Kenyan health sector aimed at health systems strengthening through financial and technical assistance. These Codes will assist Kenya in addressing personnel shortage through international cooperation for personnel recruitment and/or regulating personnel migration to other countries from Kenya.

Download the full document- TOP 11.5 WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment-1