Health
Albania Imposes New Rule to Retain Medical Graduates Amid Health Worker Shortage Crisis
In a bid to curb the exodus of healthcare professionals, Albania has introduced new regulations requiring medical school graduates to work in the country for three years before they can seek employment abroad, or face paying back the full cost of their tuition. The move aims to address the growing shortage of healthcare workers, a problem not only in Albania but across Europe as populations age and health workers retire or leave the profession.
The shortage of doctors, nurses, and other medical staff has become a pressing issue globally, with countries vying for foreign-trained professionals to fill gaps in their healthcare systems. This trend, while beneficial for the receiving countries, exacerbates the problem in nations like Albania, where the departure of medical professionals threatens to overwhelm an already struggling healthcare infrastructure.
Over the last decade, around 3,500 doctors have left Albania, according to the Federation of Albanian Doctors in Europe. Many seek better pay, working conditions, and opportunities in countries like Germany and the United Kingdom, which have been actively recruiting foreign medical professionals. “Increasing the labour force requires long-term, costly investments, whereas recruiting foreign-trained professionals offers a quicker fix,” explained Isilda Mara, a researcher at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies.
A Global Trend of Healthcare Worker Migration
The mobility of healthcare professionals is not unique to Albania. Across Europe, a domino effect is taking place: doctors and nurses from Eastern and Southern Europe are moving to Western and Northern Europe, while countries like Germany, Switzerland, and Austria fill their vacancies with professionals from non-EU countries. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), more than half of nurses in 20 African and Latin American countries have left to work abroad.
Germany, for example, has seen a sharp rise in foreign-trained doctors, who now make up 40% of the workforce in some regions. Without these immigrants, Germany’s healthcare system “would face collapse,” according to the German Expert Council on Integration and Migration.
The Impact of Brain Drain
While medical professionals benefit from better conditions abroad, the loss of trained doctors and nurses creates a “brain drain” in countries of origin like Albania, where healthcare resources are already stretched thin. Fewer doctors lead to reduced access to care, longer waiting times, and overall lower quality of healthcare services. Milena Šantrić Milićević, a health systems expert at the University of Belgrade, warned that this could erode the “health potential” of populations in these regions.
In response, organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) have updated their ethical recruitment guidelines to discourage the active poaching of healthcare workers from 55 low-income nations facing severe shortages, including many in Africa.
Seeking Long-Term Solutions
Experts are calling for more sustainable solutions to retain medical talent in their home countries, such as narrowing wage gaps, investing in healthcare systems, and ensuring that foreign recruitment initiatives are balanced and regulated. However, despite ongoing discussions, analysts remain skeptical about whether these issues will receive the political attention and funding they require.
“There are many experts providing recommendations, but I do not see that this has been taken up high on the policy agenda,” said Šantrić Milićević. The Albanian government’s new measures may be one step in retaining its medical workforce, but long-term solutions are still needed to address this global issue.
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Second Round of Polio Vaccination Begins in Gaza Amid Conflict
A second round of polio vaccinations commenced in Gaza on Monday, aiming to inoculate over half a million children as part of emergency efforts to control an outbreak first detected in July. The highly contagious virus was found in sewage samples and led to the paralysis of a 10-month-old child, marking the first polio case in the region in 25 years.
The initial phase of the vaccination campaign occurred in early September, with approximately 95% of eligible children receiving the first dose of the oral polio vaccine. The current round will provide the crucial second dose, necessary to halt the transmission of the virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least two doses are required to stop the spread, and a minimum of 90% vaccination coverage is essential to protect the population.
In addition to the polio vaccine, children between the ages of two and nine will receive Vitamin A to enhance overall immunity, the WHO reported.
Dr. Hamid Jafari, Director of Polio Eradication for WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, explained that polio outbreak responses typically involve multiple rounds of immunization to interrupt transmission at the community level. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) helps determine the number and scope of campaigns needed based on risk assessments, with this particular campaign targeting children under 10 in Gaza.
Vaccination Amid War and Shortages
The ongoing vaccination effort takes place under the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war, which erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel. Israel’s subsequent military response, including airstrikes and a ground operation, has led to widespread devastation in Gaza, with more than 42,000 Palestinians killed, according to the territory’s health ministry.
The war has severely strained Gaza’s healthcare system, which WHO described as “virtually depleted.” The first round of vaccinations faced major logistical hurdles due to damaged infrastructure, a lack of supplies, and significant population displacement.
Despite these challenges, the first phase was considered a success, with mobile teams, outreach posts, and health facilities ensuring broad coverage. For the second round, similar strategies are being employed, with additional efforts to raise public awareness, including radio broadcasts and digital messaging.
In recent months, 1.6 million doses of the polio vaccine have been delivered to Gaza, along with essential equipment like refrigerators, freezers, and vaccine carriers.
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, emphasized the importance of “humanitarian pauses” in the conflict to ensure the vaccination campaign can continue without interruption, stressing that “without them, it is impossible to vaccinate the children.”
Global Polio Eradication Efforts
Polio is primarily transmitted through contact with the feces of an infected individual, often through contaminated water or food. While many people experience mild or no symptoms, the virus can cause paralysis and, in severe cases, death.
The ongoing global fight against polio has successfully reduced cases of wild poliovirus to just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, outbreaks of vaccine-derived strains still occur in areas with low immunization rates. These strains, linked to the live virus in the oral vaccine, can be controlled with two to three rounds of immunization.
The novel version of the oral polio vaccine used in Gaza includes improvements designed to reduce the likelihood of the virus mutating and causing disease in under-vaccinated communities. Dr. Jafari stressed the importance of continued global cooperation, noting that “until we stop transmission of all polioviruses, children everywhere remain at risk.”
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