Increasing the knowledge base for policy decision making: EU and ILO India promote decent work agenda for Indian health professionals
Thousands of Indian health professionals migrate every year for work, raising important questions related to the global shortage and inequitable distribution of health professionals, in and between many countries and the conditions under which their migration experience takes place
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The sector is however showing signs of increased marketization and privatisation as the continent struggles with the effects of the financial crisis.
Although efforts are being made to increase the training of new health professionals and enhance retention strategies, experts agree that migrant health professionals will be needed to answer the growing healthcare needs of European member States.
India is one of the most important sources of foreign health workers for OECD and European countries, ranking sixth in terms of origin countries for nurses to the OECD.
The impacts of immigration are critical as they feed into the political climate which influence the reform of migration related legislations and frameworks. It is vital to document these impacts with evidences to contribute to the policy debate in a constructive and balanced manner.
| “It is critical to collect data and analyze together through research to be able to design more efficient policy interventions for the benefit of all” Director Tine Staermose, ILO DWT and India Country Office |
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Union are working together to better understand the issue of circular migration of health professionals through the "Decent Work across Borders” project.
With a total grant of EUR2 million (US$3 million) from the European Union, the pilot project promotes decent work among healthcare professionals and skilled workers from India, Philippines and Vietnam.
The project brings together government, workers, employers, professional organizations and recruitment agencies, to design schemes that will promote the safe and ethical migration of healthcare professionals.
The ILO organized a policy dialogue to share the results of five recent researches commissioned with the aim to better understand the effects of health professional migration on host societies and migrant themselves and the best way to ensure that it takes place in the best interests of all. The policy dialogue was held on 26 July 2013 in New Delhi
The studies on - the effects of migration of health professionals on the health sector of the UK; the working conditions of foreign-trained health professionals in Europe; services for migrant health professionals in the Philippines and India were presented by international and local consultants who are experts in the field of migration and human resources for health.
"Migration of health professionals is at the junction of the right to mobility, right to health and right to decent work" said Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme, Chief Technical Advisor for the ILO Decent Work across Borders project. "It is about finding an acceptable compromise between the rights and obligations of migrant workers, employers and governments based on sound research findings. Little information is available on the specific situation regarding skilled, and in particular health professionals having migrated to Europe".
The results of the research generated by the ILO Decent Work Across Borders will inform European based policy makers on the best way to ensure that migration respect international ethical standards for the benefit of all
For further information please contact:
Ms Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme, ILO DWAB, +63 2 580 9917, Email
Ms Seeta Sharma, ILO New Delhi, +91 11 47509233, Email