Task shifting: Meeting the human resources needs for acute and emergency care in Africa

Point‐of‐care ultrasound education for non‐physician clinicians in a resource‐limited emergency department

“…This is well established in obstetrical care, malaria care and HIV management . The idea of task shifting for the delivery of acute and emergency care is relatively new . Because of the timeliness and proximity required for the delivery of emergency care, task shifting is an ideal means to fill the need in low‐ and middle‐income countries.…”

Mortality in Children Under Five Receiving Nonphysician Clinician Emergency Care in Uganda

“…8 Though nonphysician clinicians (NPCs) have provided basic diagnosis, medical treatment, and surgical specialty care in SSA, 9 NPC cadres have only recently begun treating undifferentiated patients in an emergency department (ED) setting. 10,11 The Global Emergency Care Collaborative (GECC) is a US-based nongovernmental organization that started the Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP) program in Uganda in 2009 to train NPCs specialized in emergency care. A detailed description of the ECP training program was previously published.…”

The Sustainable Development Goals: Contextualizing Africa's Economic and Health Landscape

“…Shifting some tasks from people requiring longer and more intensive training, to those requiring shorter and less intensive training, enables more service availability within a shorter time . The shortage of physicians in Africa, especially in rural areas, has therefore prompted task shifting toward nurses and midwives . However, these nurses and midwives are not properly trained and equipped for these additional tasks usually assigned to physicians .…”

“…The shortage of physicians in Africa, especially in rural areas, has therefore prompted task shifting toward nurses and midwives . However, these nurses and midwives are not properly trained and equipped for these additional tasks usually assigned to physicians . Nurses and midwives present a logical and viable source for enhancing health service delivery in Africa, thereby improving health outcomes for the continent's diverse population.…”