Washington, DC, August 16, 2016 — AIHA President & CEO David Greeley presented today at a round-table discussion on existing barriers that hamper access to healthcare services around the world.
The Global Alliance for Patient Access hosted the event, which was titled, “Ensuring Access to Innovative Healthcare Technologies.” It was designed to be a forum for thought leaders and stakeholders from various sectors to discuss primary barriers to care, explore innovative case studies, and highlight best practices.
AIHA President & CEO David Greeley (left) spoke about health worker shortages in low- and middle-income countries at a round-table on barriers that prevent people from accessing healthcare services today at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.
In addition to AIHA’s Greeley, the panel discussion also featured Dr. Tom Kenyon, President & CEO of Project Hope; Stephen Ezell, Vice President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; and Nicolette Louissant, Director of Programming at Healthcare Ready. Participants drawn from research institutions, the nonprofit sector, and private trade and industry contributed to the discussion.
Speaking on the impact that shortages of trained health workers have on people’s ability to access care – particularly in low- and middle-income countries, but also in many rural and underserved parts of the developed world – Greeley explained AIHA’s efforts to strengthen health systems and build local capacity to train human resources for health.
“There are many obstacles people face when they need to seek healthcare services in the countries where we work, not the least of which is a severe shortage of physicians, nurses, and other care providers,” Greeley says.
“It was clear from the discussion that the critical need for health systems strengthening is well recognized, as is finding locally-driven and fit-for-purpose solutions for training health and allied workers,” he continues.
“For 25 years, AIHA’s partnerships and other technical assistance projects have helped countries build the capacity to train human resources for health in an effort to overcome this pressing challenge.”