Promoting equitable health workforce distribution through improved migration governance: A mixed methods study of African health professionals' perceptions in Australia.

Background: This study examined skilled health worker (SHW) migration governance in African countries and Australia, with an emphasis on areas of influence for achieving an equitable global health workforce distribution.

Methods: We used a mixed-methods research design with African SHW migrants in Australia. An institutional and rights-based framing of governance guided thematic analysis of the interviews, which was mapped to survey findings from a Bayesian Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Scope of health worker migration governance and its impact on emigration intentions among skilled health workers in Nigeria.

The growing trends for skilled health worker (SHW) migration in Nigeria has led to increased concerns about achieving universal health coverage in the country. While a lot is known about drivers of SHW migration, including national/sub-national government's inability to address them, not enough is known about its governance. Underpinning good governance systems is a commitment to human rights norms, that is, principles that enshrine non-discrimination, participation, accountability, and transparency.

Understanding patient preferences for emergency care for lower triage acuity presentations during GP hours: a qualitative study in Australia.

Background: Low acuity presentations to Australian emergency departments drive long wait times, higher costs and may be better treated in primary care settings. This study sought to understand factors leading these patients to present to emergency departments.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with patients at two tertiary emergency departments in Sydney during general practitioner opening hours.

Social networks and skilled health worker migration in Nigeria: An ego network analysis.

Background: Nigeria provides a good case study for researchers, activists, and governments seeking to understand how social networks can help mitigate the negative impact of skilled health worker (SHW) migration in low and middle-income countries. This study aimed to map the social networks of SHWs and explore how they influence migration intentions.

Methods: We combined semi-structured qualitative interviews with an ego-network analysis of 22 SHWs living in Nigeria, used R-Studio to display and visualise their networks, and NVivo for thematic analysis of transcribed interviews.

Research activity, facilitators and barriers amongst trainee and early-career family physicians in sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional survey.

Background:  Primary health care systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) need context-specific evidence to address current challenges. Increased family physician (FP) research activity could help fill this gap.

Aim:  To describe the research activity, facilitators and barriers amongst AfriWon Renaissance members.

Integrated Management of Diabetes and Tuberculosis in Rural India - Results From a Pilot Study.

Introduction: The World Health Organization and International Union against Tuberculosis (TB) recommends screening patients with TB for Diabetes Mellitus (DM) at the initiation of treatment. There are few pilot studies which screen TB patients for DM, but none of them have documented the feasibility of managing TB patients with DM in the Indian healthcare setting. Operational research is needed to determine the best way to manage individuals with both conditions.

An intervention package for supporting the mental well-being of community health workers in low, and middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there is an increasing reliance on community health workers (CHWs) to achieve its control especially in low, and middle-income countries (LMICs). An increase in the demand for their services and the challenges they already face make them prone to mental health illness. Therefore, there is a need to further support the mental health and well-being of CHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Utility of the Right to Health for Addressing Skilled Health Worker Shortages in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Background: As a fundamental human right, the right to health (RTH) can influence state actors' behaviour towards health inequities. Human rights advocates have invoked the RTH in a collective demand for improved access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Similarly, scholars have used the RTH as a framework for analysing health problems.

Governance systems for skilled health worker migration, their public value and competing priorities: an interpretive scoping review.

Background: Governments worldwide participate in skilled health worker (SHW) migration agreements to protect access to health services in their countries. Previous studies have described the value offered by these agreements in separate source and destination country perspectives.

Objective: We sought to identify and summarise existing literature on shared value creation for both source and destination countries.

Implementation of Online Research Training and Mentorship for Sub-Saharan African Family Physicians.

Background: To improve the delivery and reach of primary health care, a robust scientific foundation driven by research is needed. However, few family physicians conduct research, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Early-career and trainee family physicians are a key part of the primary care research pipeline and have an expressed need for research training and mentorship.

Reformulation and strengthening of return-of-service (ROS) schemes could change the narrative on global health workforce distribution and shortages in sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite policies for addressing shortages and maldistribution of health professionals, sub-Saharan Africa continues to experience shortages and maldistribution of skilled health professionals. Policies such as return-of-service schemes or state-funded educational initiatives do not seem to be achieving their intended objectives, potentially due to poor design, implementation; and lack of monitoring and evaluation of the strategies. A focus by global health experts on strengthening and reformulating educational initiatives offers potential for producing, retaining and recruiting health professionals.

Exploring gaps, strategies and solutions for primary care research mentorship in the African context: A workshop report.

Background: Primary care needs research to generate evidence relevant to community needs; however, there is a lack of research engagement among primary care physicians, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Improved research mentorship for family physicians (FPs) can help address prevailing knowledge and practice gaps in primary care research.Workshop process: During the 6th annual Africa Regional Conference of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), we conducted three workshops on research mentorship for African FPs.

Lifestyle, cardiovascular risk knowledge and patient counselling among selected sub-Saharan African family physicians and trainees.

Background:  Cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are on the rise, and primary care physicians could facilitate the reversal of this trend through treatment and prevention strategies.

Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between physician lifestyle practices, CVD prevention knowledge and patient CVD counselling practices among family physicians (FPs) and family medicine (FM) trainees affiliated to FM colleges and organisations in SSA.

Setting:  FPs and FM trainees affiliated to FM colleges and organisations in Anglophone SSA.

A comparison of leadership competencies among doctors practicing in public and private hospitals in Jos metropolis of Plateau State, Nigeria.

Aim: This study aimed at assessing and comparing perceived leadership competencies of doctors occupying managerial positions in a public and various private hospitals in Jos metropolis of Plateau state, Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross-sectional, comparative multicenter study. It involved self-assessment by 27 doctors occupying managerial positions in public and private hospitals within Jos metropolis and peer-assessments by 89 health and nonhealth professionals who worked with the doctor-managers at the time of the study.

Collaborative global health E-learning: A Massive Open Online Course experience of young family doctors.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are unlimited web-based courses accessed through computers, smartphones, or other digital devices. Although they have multiple advantages, a common challenge is the low course completion rates. Young family doctors of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) from more than 20 countries recently completed an initiative that combined social media platforms with a MOOC offered by Harvard University.

Perceptions about family-centred care among adult patients with chronic diseases at a general outpatient clinic in Nigeria.

Background:  Few studies in Africa have described patients' perceptions about family-centred care (FCC).

Aim:  The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of FCC among patients with chronic diseases.

Setting:  The study was conducted at a general outpatient clinic (GOPC) in Jos, north-central Nigeria.

Meeting report: 'How do I incorporate research into my family practice?': Reflections on experiences of and solutions for young family doctors.

Background:  Family doctors (FDs) focus on biopsychosocial components of health during consultations. However, much of the evidence employed by these doctors is produced by researchers who are not routinely involved in family practice. Family doctors competent in both clinical practice and research are essential to addressing this gap.

WONCA 2015 preconference exchange: Self-discovery, friendship, and innovation amidst diversity and uncertainty.

This commentary is the result of a long-distance creative writing project between young general practitioners (GPs) from around the world. They wrote this after participating in an exchange program in Turkey, where they had the opportunity to shadow a Turkish GP, and talk about primary health care around the world. This program was organized by the Vasco da Gama Movement (Vasco da Gama Movement is WONCA Europe's Working group for New and Future GPs: http://vdgm.

Factors affecting time of access of in-patient care at Webuye District hospital, Kenya.

Background: Among many Kenyan rural communities, access to in-patient healthcare services is seriously constrained. It is important to understand who has ready access to the facilities and services offered and what factors prevent those who do not from doing so.

Aim: To identify factors affecting time of access of in-patient healthcare services at a rural district hospital in Kenya.

Healthcare hashtag index development: Identifying global impact in social media.

Purpose: Create an index of global reach for healthcare hashtags and tweeters therein, filterable by topic of interest.

Materials And Methods: For this proof-of-concept study we focused on the field of Primary Care and Family Medicine. Six hashtags were selected based on their importance, from the ones included in the 'Healthcare Hashtag Project'.

Perceived competency deficits and challenges of family medicine trainees in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: A competency-based approach to family medicine (FM) post graduate (PG) training falls short of a holistic process if it focuses only on patients' needs without eliciting those of trainees.

Aim: To identify perceived competency deficits of trainees and challenges hindering achievement of learning outcomes.

Setting: PG FM programmes in sub-Saharan Africa.

A retrospective non-comparative analysis of the quality of care for osteoarthritis at the general out-patient department of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

Background: Osteoarthritis is a common condition in primary care and is often associated with disability and limitation of function requiring holistic care.

Aim: The aim of this audit was to assess the quality of care provided by family physicians in the management of osteoarthritis at the General Out-patient Department (GOPD) of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) as well as ascertain if such care was in line with evidence-based medicine.

Methods: This was a retrospective noncomparative study.

Young Doctor Movements: motives for membership among aspiring and young family physicians.

Background: Over the past decade, young doctor movements (YDMs) have gained recognition for their efforts in promoting the discipline of family medicine. With growth and expansion comes the need for an inquiry into the membership motives of current/intending members.

Aim And Objectives: This study was aimed at determining the main reasons why young and aspiring family physicians (FPs) joined their regional YDM.