Developing countries are suffering severely from a lack of human resources in medicine and the biomedical sciences. Africa in particular has a crisis, with many countries experiencing chronic shortages of biomedical engineers, medical and research laboratory technicians, medical doctors and basic scientists. The problem was officially acknowledged at an emergency meeting in Douala, Cameroon, in June 2007, attended by delegates from 18 west and central African countries.
Several initiatives have now been launched, including one in our country of Cameroon. Measures at the national level include more competitive salaries and part-time positions for Cameroonians or experts of Cameroonian origin working in developed countries. The part-time opportunity allows experts to keep their positions in developed countries while spending several weeks to months every year working in Africa. This program is being implemented at our institute, the the Chantal Biya International Center for Research and Prevention of HIV/AIDS (CIRCB).
Launched in February ...
