Scholarships and the healthcare human resources crisis

Scholarships for study in the former Soviet Union were offered to students in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and across the developing world. Many of these scholarships were used to study medicine, and the health workforces of many sub-Saharan African countries now contain a significant number of Soviet-trained doctors – though they remain critically understaffed.

The Russian program, previously reduced, is now expanding again.

Using Ghana as a case study, this report aims to establish just what impact these programs have had on healthcare systems and how they can be improved to benefit recipient countries.