Promoting equitable health workforce distribution through improved migration governance: A mixed methods study of African health professionals' perceptions in Australia

Abstract

BackgroundThis study examined skilled health worker (SHW) migration governance in African countries and Australia, with an emphasis on areas of influence for achieving an equitable global health workforce distribution.MethodsWe used a mixed‐methods research design with African SHW migrants in Australia. An institutional and rights‐based framing of governance guided thematic analysis of the interviews, which was mapped to survey findings from a Bayesian Exploratory Factor Analysis.ResultsThe findings imply that Australian state actors enforce laws that attract SHW migrants and promote safe clinical practice, but do not adequately address their integration concerns or role in health system strengthening. Non‐state actors in Australia make donations to African health institutions but rarely promote health workforce equity. African state actors respond to increased SHW migration trends by increasing health worker training and limiting migration, but they lack a comprehensive governance framework for involving citizens and engaging foreign governments. There is limited evidence of a shared community definition of SHW migration governance in many African countries.ConclusionWhen stakeholders in both sending and receiving countries recognise the indivisibility of the rights at stake (for example, SHW rights as migrants and the right to health), support for an equity‐focused SHW migration governance system may increase. Promoting these rights can result in policies that enhance health system strengthening in destination and source countries. Similarly, growing adoption of these rights in sending countries should help inspire a coordinated plan for strengthening health system and SHW migration governance.