The International Centre for Systematic Reviews on Human Resources for Health (CSRHRH), hosted by the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, is one of the four global centres conducting systematic reviews focusing on Health systems research, with the aim of generating policy relevant information. The four centres also build capacity in conducting systematic reviews among researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The other three centres are: Centre for Systematic Reviews on Health Care Financing, hosted by China, Centre for Systematic Reviews on Non-State Sector, hosted by Bangladesh and the Methodology Centre, hosted by Chile.
Background to the CSRHRH
Human resources are a vital component in the success or failure of any health system performance. The health workforce provides care, designs health systems, educates the public about good health practices, and educates future health workers, among other duties. It is important therefore to invest in training, education and retention to increase health worker supply.
The Centre for Systematic Reviews on Human Resources for Health has the responsibility of finding and repackaging systematic reviews on human resources for health and ensuring that these reviews reach out to all those who contribute to the improvement of health care services.
The Centre’s vision is 'to be a centre of excellence in conducting and disseminating systematic reviews on Human Resources for Health'.
Its mission is 'to carry out systematic reviews by collating and synthesising information from both published and unpublished sources in human resources for health in order to act as a one-stop-centre and knowledge base for low and middle income countries'.
The general objective of the centre is to ‘conduct, disseminate and promote utilisation of high quality systematic reviews on issues of human resources for health relevant to decision makers, health managers, policy-makers and researchers in resource poor settings'.
The specific objectives are:
- To establish a thematic centre for systematic reviews on human resources for health
- To produce relevant appropriately packaged systematic reviews of human resources for health for various target audiences
- To identify primary studies relevant to human resources for health and publish them within the Centre’s library database
- To identify innovations, challenges, gaps and opportunities in human resources for health research
- To contribute to the development of methodologies and guidelines for undertaking systematic reviews which are relevant to LMICs
- To develop capacity for conducting systematic reviews in health policy and systems research among health professionals nationally and internationally.
Work done by the Centre so far
The Centre has so far handled two reviews. 1) Effects of changes in the pre-licensure education of health workers on the health worker supply and 2) Approaches and implementation of dual practice regulatory mechanisms in the health sector.
The Centre is currently working on three other reviews:
- Regulatory mechanisms for absenteeism in the health sector: a systematic review of approaches and implementation
- Interventions to manage absenteeism among health workers
- Interventions for managing the movement of health workers between public and private organisations in low- and middle-income countries
Funding and technical support
The Alliance for Health Policy and System Research (AHPSR-WHO) based in Geneva provides funding and technical support to the Centre, while Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC), Oslo, Norway, Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Coordinating (EPPI-) Centre, London, UK and the London School of Tropical Medicine, all provide technical assistance.
The Centre's team comprises:
- Dr. Suzanne Namusoke Kiwanuka - Principal Investigator
- Associate Professor, George William Pariyo
- Dr. Freddie Sengooba
- Dr. Elizeus Rutebemberwa
- Dr. Olico Okui
- Dr. Christine Nalwadda
- Ms. Alison Kinengyere
- Ms Milly Nattimba
- Dr Raymond Tweheyo
- Dr Esther Buregyeya