• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

The ethics of recruiting international health-care workers: Canada’s gains could mean another country’s pain

July 12, 2023
in Article
The ethics of recruiting international health-care workers: Canada’s gains could mean another country’s pain
Recruiting health workers from countries on the World Health Organization’s safeguard list without robust and reciprocal benefits for the countries sending them does not meet ethical standards. (Shutterstock)

Canadians know we are facing a health workforce crisis, from the estimated 6.5 million who do not have a primary care provider, to those waiting months for medical imaging and hours in emergency rooms. While the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency over in May 2023, Canada’s health workforce crisis has no end in sight.

As researchers with the Canadian Health Workforce Network, we see the roots of this crisis in poor workforce planning and the inadequate integration of immigrant health workers. The consequences of poor planning are evident, as are the ethical ramifications of solving our problems through global recruitment.

Table of Contents

  • Canada’s health workforce crisis is more than a national issue
  • Why is the WHO Code important to reflect upon now?
  • Provincial recruiting strategies
  • How compatible are these practices with the WHO Code?

Canada’s health workforce crisis is more than a national issue

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada established an expert panel to assess Canada’s role in global health and identify opportunities for Canada to “be true to its announced values of equity, human rights, and global citizenship.”

One way to promote Canadian health leadership is to align practices with the WHO’s Global Code on the Practice of International Recruitment of Health Personnel. This voluntary code was agreed to by all member states in 2010. Its key principles are ethical recruitment, a commitment to planning and international co-operation.

  • Ethical practices include discouraging active recruitment from countries listed on the WHO’s health workforce support safeguards list, which identifies “countries with the most pressing health workforce needs related to universal health coverage.”

  • Robust health workforce planning strategies include strengthening health workforce data and implementing plans with a goal of health workforce sustainability and self-sufficiency. Robust data can ensure policies and planning are evidence-based, and document the impact of international recruiting on health systems. The goal should be sustainable, self-sufficient health workforces, including appropriate education, training and retention policies.

  • International co-operation between source and destination countries includes technical assistance and financial support to ensure benefits are mutual.

Why is the WHO Code important to reflect upon now?

Health workers in scrubs and white coats wearing face masks
Recruiting and integrating internationally educated health personnel is part of proposed solutions to Canada’s health worker crisis.
(Shutterstock)

Recent Canadian health workforce reports identify the recruitment and integration of internationally educated health personnel (IEHPs) as part of the solution to the health worker crisis. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health held hearings on addressing Canada’s health workforce crisis, and the top four recommendations from its March 2023 report all referenced IEHPs:

  • greater collaboration between all levels of government and relevant stakeholders to streamline the process to recruit from countries that are known to train more health workers than they need domestically;
  • to provide more residency positions for international medical graduates;
  • expand pathways to qualifying for a licence to practice medicine in Canada (licensure) for international physicians who have already completed their residency; and
  • support expedited pathways to licensure and practice.

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences report also offers “pathways forward to ease the health workforce crisis,” including improving the integration of IEHPs.

Provincial recruiting strategies

Sub-national governments are also focused on international recruitment and integration. In British Columbia, Health Match BC is assisting health professionals to immigrate, and legislation now makes it easier for internationally educated nurses to work in the province.

Alberta developed a health workforce strategy that includes attracting IEHPs. Saskatchewan launched an international health worker pool for Provincial Nominee Program candidates. Manitoba started recruiting health-care workers directly from the Philippines.

Ontario has both made it easier for health workers from other provinces to practice there, and also directed its licensing bodies to streamline integration processes for immigrants in the province with a nursing or medical credential.

Québec launched an international recruitment drive to hire over 1,000 French-speaking nurses in February 2022.

New Brunswick partnered with Vitalité Health Network to send nurse recruiters to Senegal and Ivory Coast (countries on the WHO’s safeguard list). Nova Scotia has recruited 65 refugees from Kenyan refugee camps who will be employed in the continuing care sector. Newfoundland and Labrador has launched a mission to recruit nurses directly from India.

How compatible are these practices with the WHO Code?

Recruitment and integration efforts have seen provinces develop novel and seemingly ethical plans to recruit IEHPs and provide them a pathway to practice in Canada. However, recruiting health workers from countries on the WHO’s safeguard list without robust and reciprocal benefits for the countries sending them fails the ethical test.

Merging employment and refugee selection channels also suggests ethical concerns beyond health workforce issues, since refugee systems are based on the vulnerability individuals face, not their occupational compatibility.

The absence of health workforce planning discussions is notable. Canada’s ability to approach self-sufficiency is limited by its lack of robust plans, and by the lack of data to support planning. This includes how immigration fits into the health workforce. The proposal to establish a Centre of Excellence on health worker data can begin to address these gaps.

Siloed responses from health and international development government ministries means we miss opportunities to support international co-operation and develop integrative solutions to health workforce issues beyond Canada’s own international recruitment efforts.

We encourage greater attention to these different facets of the WHO Code as national, provincial and territorial governments seek to address their present and ongoing health workforce challenges. This approach would be more in keeping with Canada’s role on the global stage than is presently the case.

The Conversation

Margaret Walton-Roberts receives funding from SSHRC. She is affiliated with Canadian Health Workforce Network.

Ivy Lynn Bourgeault receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Through the Canadian Health Workforce Network, she has received funds from Health Canada and Service Canada.

ShareTweetSharePin
Next Post
Strep throat can easily be confused with throat infections caused by viruses – here are a few ways to know the difference

Strep throat can easily be confused with throat infections caused by viruses – here are a few ways to know the difference

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021

Why Circadian Rhythms Matter for Your Health

July 30, 2024
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021

4 steps to building a healthier relationship with your phone

January 28, 2025
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
Biden is getting prostate cancer treatment, but that’s not the best choice for all men − a cancer researcher describes how she helped her father decide

Biden is getting prostate cancer treatment, but that’s not the best choice for all men − a cancer researcher describes how she helped her father decide

May 20, 2025
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021

This Simple Hygiene Habit Could Cut Your Risk of Stroke, New Research Reveals

February 1, 2025

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
woman covered with white blanket

Exploring the Impact of Sleep Patterns on Mental Health

August 4, 2024

Maximize Your Performance – Sync with Your Circadian Rhythms

August 9, 2024
Why are some people faster than others? 2 exercise scientists explain the secrets of running speed

Why are some people faster than others? 2 exercise scientists explain the secrets of running speed

April 29, 2024
Backlash to transgender health care isn’t new − but the faulty science used to justify it has changed to meet the times

Backlash to transgender health care isn’t new − but the faulty science used to justify it has changed to meet the times

January 30, 2024
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience

Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience

January 28, 2025
FDA limits access to COVID-19 vaccine to older adults and other high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules

FDA limits access to COVID-19 vaccine to older adults and other high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules

May 21, 2025
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS