Trained local health professionals are crucial to the lives and well-being of those in developing countries. Yet, many developing countries lack them and are still limited to those trained in Western nations or even merely medical supplies. This contributes to higher rates of disease, poor health, improper care and more within these nations.

However, these issues have shown to decrease in developing nations that have had access to trained local health professionals, marking their importance. Western countries, such as the U.K. and the U.S., must make contributions to the increase in trained local health professionals in developing nations. One way to do so is through health organizations that provide training, such as Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO).

Danielle Stonehirsch, Manager of Communications and Donor Relations at HVO, recently spoke with The Borgen Project to demonstrate the importance of trained local health professionals and answer questions about the concept.

The Importance

The uneven global distribution of health care workers has left many developing nations without enough trained local professionals. This shortage places a heavy burden on public health, resulting in reduced access to treatment and higher rates of illness. While developed nations, such as the U.S. and the U.K., attempt to provide aid to developing countries, much of this support consists solely of medical supplies rather than trained health care professionals.

According to Stonehirsch, this approach is problematic because the absence of skilled professionals can lead to the misuse or complete underuse of donated equipment, ultimately depriving patients of proper care. She cites an internal medical project run by HVO in Nepal, where a physician facilitated the donation of multiple bedside ultrasound machines.

Without proper training, local staff may have been unable to use the equipment effectively. However, the physician, along with other volunteers, established regular in-person visits and ongoing online mentorship to train multiple hospital departments. As a result, local health care workers can now use the machines to save lives and educate students and colleagues on their operation.

Local health professionals hold importance as they understand the patients’ language and culture, which allows for greater trust from patients and enhances the effectiveness of treatment. Hiring local professionals in developing nations may also be economically beneficial, as it creates more job opportunities for those in impoverished areas. Additionally, according to Stonehirsch, trained health care providers who are sent from developed nations (rather than being locally trained) must eventually return to their own country. Once they do so, the areas they were serving no longer receive the much-needed assistance.

How Local Health Professionals Have Benefited Countries in the Past

Trained local health professionals have greatly benefited developing nations in the past. In Honduras, Liberia and Kenya, they were responsible for multiple tasks, including ensuring access to care, improving equity, alleviating disease and more. Twenty-four countries in sub-Saharan Africa, representing 80% of the region, relied on these professionals for risk communication, surveillance and testing.

HVO has worked extensively in regions including Africa, Asia, Latin America, Haiti, St. Lucia and Georgia, building long-term partnerships with hospitals, clinics and universities. Stonehirsch shared with The Borgen Project an example from an HVO hand surgery initiative. In this project, a volunteer met a young surgeon with an interest in hand surgery.

Although the volunteer’s expertise was in pediatrics, she encouraged him to specialize in pediatric hand surgery and trained him alongside several colleagues who formed a dedicated team. He went on to become the first pediatric hand surgeon in his country. HVO volunteers also trained the only hand therapist in Ghana, who is now teaching others across the country.

This illustrates how developing nations can benefit from trained local health professionals. The organization also offers virtual options, including Zoom lectures, mentorship, online resources and more, as well as scholarships to support partners’ travel to other countries. Its volunteers are always available to partners through texting, emailing and calling.

What Can Be Done

Multiple steps are required to ensure an adequate distribution of trained local health professionals in developing nations. This includes collaboration between the United Nations and the World Health Organization to develop policies that support the training of health care workers in these countries, as well as strategies to retain them. As one report notes, this involves “solutions to retain more health care workers, as many seek to migrate to other countries where social and economic conditions are more favorable for work and living.”

It is also important for health programs to recognize this issue and actively contribute to increasing the number of trained local health professionals in developing nations. “More organizations need to invest in long-term, sustainable solutions,” Stonehirsch says. While several organizations, such as HVO, have acknowledged the problem, they often require support from additional partners to expand their impact.

For HVO, increasing training opportunities requires both time and financial resources, making volunteers and donors essential to program growth. The organization currently trains about 3,100 health care providers each year. “I would love to see that number double,” Stonehirsch adds. “Each of those individuals then becomes capable of teaching others.” As more people donate and volunteer, opportunities to strengthen local health care capacity continue to grow.

When asked why some countries require support from organizations like HVO, Stonehirsch explained, “In many low-resource areas, hospitals and clinics are understaffed and providers are working hard to care for many, many patients. That often leaves little to no time to teach and mentor interns, residents and younger colleagues.”

As a result, early-career professionals often leave to practice in other countries rather than returning to their home countries. Expanding local opportunities increases the likelihood that these professionals will stay and contribute to their communities.

– Renata Hirmiz

Renata is based in San Diego, CA, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

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