Inadequate numbers of health workers, as well as their uneven distribution throughout the country, is a key barrier to the scale-up of HIV treatment in Côte d’Ivoire. According to a 2014 United Nations Population Fund report, the country has only 48 percent of the maternal and newborn health workforce it needs. In addition to problems with the existing health workforce, the pre-service training institutions preparing Côte d’Ivoire’s next generation of health workers face outdated facilities and curricula.

This brief, Supporting the Scale-Up of HIV Care and Treatment through Human Resources for Health Interventions in Côte d’Ivoire, describes how HFG supported the development of the HRH National Strategic Plan for 2014-2015. The country’s first post-conflict plan to address HRH issues, its core aim is to address HRH obstacles to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially MDGs 4, 5, and 6, on reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, and combatting HIV/AIDS.

HFG is working with Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Health (MSLS) to plan and implement the interventions outlined in the plan at the national and institutional level. Activities aim to address health worker retention, distribution, and quality of care issues. For example, by strengthening the quality of the health workforce nursing training institutions and focusing on training nurses to serve hard-to-reach populations, health personnel will have a more expansive and effective impact on the quality of HIV/AIDS treatment and care.

Supporting the Scale-Up of HIV Care and Treatment through Human Resources for Health Interventions in Côte d’Ivoire