Almost half of the 16,000 staff expansion of the NHS came from the recruitment of health care workers from overseas. 1/3rd of practising doctors in the UK has been trained overseas. According to WHO, Africa has 14% of the world's population but only 1.3% of the world's healthcare workers and a massive 25% of the global disease burden! These statistics present us with the longstanding issue of health worker migration.

Richer countries are receiving tens of thousands of trained healthcare workers each year from poorer countries. This strengthens the health services of host countries and drains migrants' home countries of a valuable resource. The so-called 'Brain Drain'.

But it may be beneficial for healthcare worker's home countries for workers to receive training and higher wages in another country. Some countries make money each year from healthcare workers abroad who send money back to their families and thus strengthen the economy.

Should we be looking at the roots of the problem such as poverty and governmental corruption rather than quick-fix solutions such as reparations? In Kenya there is a shortage of 5000 healthcare workers in the public sector but 6000 unemployed healthcare workers in the country - there is just not the money to pay them.

WHO has decided to devote next years World Health Report especially to this growing crisis and also a decade-long campaign planned after, so this will be a hot topic by OCT 2006.

What impact does healthcare worker migration have on the migrants' home countries, host countries and the migrants themselves? Is it ethical for the NHS to recruit? Is this infringing on people's RIGHT TO HEALTH? Is it ethical to stop people's freedom of movement? What possible solutions can be drawn? So many questions to discuss....