Africa Health Placements
Encyclopedia
Africa Health Placements (AHP) is a “social-profit” organisation that aims to create equitable access to healthcare in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 by reversing the present exodus of health professionals from public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...

care facilities.

Etymology and origin

Africa Health Placements (AHP) is a descriptive title, which refers to the organisation's role as a recruiter of foreign health workers into southern Africa's public health sector. The organisation was formed as a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...

 between the advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...

 group, RHI (Rural Health Initiative) and the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) – a private university
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...

 focused on creating skills for the public health sector in southern Africa.

Activities

AHP is run by a team of recruiter
Recruiter
A recruiter is someone engaging in recruitment, or the solicitation of individuals to fill jobs or positions within a corporation, nonprofit organization, sports team, the military, etc. Recruiters may work within an organization's human resources department or on an outsourced basis...

s, researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...

s and advocacy specialists situated in offices in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, the United States of America and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. They communicate with hospital managers across South Africa and then market the opportunity to work in South Africa to health professionals around the world – largely via the web, specialist journals and conferences
Meeting
In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....

. A zero-fee placement service is delivered to all qualifying candidates. This includes the management of all necessary immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...

 administration, as required by the South African Department of Health
Department of Health (South Africa)
The Department of Health is the executive department of the South African government which is assigned to health matters....

 and the Health Professions Council of South Africa. AHP's recruiters also facilitate the orientation
Orientation
Orientation may refer to:* Orientation , a function of the mind* Orientation , a 1996 short film produced by the Church of Scientology...

 of all health workers that are placed into rural health facilities.

AHP's management also conducts advocacy amongst civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...

 organisations, private companies and various government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

bodies, identifying systemic issues that are driving health professionals away from the region, and advising on how to address them.

See also:
  • The Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP)
  • The Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa (RuDASA)
  • The Foundation for Professional Development (FPD)
  • The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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