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From humanitarian crisis to employment crisis: The lives and livelihoods of South Sudanese refugee health workers in Uganda

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Listed:
  • Jennifer Palmer
  • Stephen Sokiri
  • Jacob Nhial Bol Char
  • Amuna Vivian
  • Denise Ferris
  • Georgia Venner
  • John Jal Dak

Abstract

Despite the many benefits of refugee health workers for health systems, they commonly face challenges integrating into host country workforces. The Global Code of Practice on International Recruitment of Health Personnel, which should monitor and protect migrant health workers, offers little guidance for refugees and research is needed to inform strategy. Based on interviews with 34 refugee health workers and 10 leaders across two settlements supporting populations fleeing the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan since 2013, we describe the governance and social dynamics affecting South Sudanese refugee health worker employment in Uganda. Refugees in Uganda legally have the right to work but face an employment crisis. Refugee health workers report that systemic discrimination, competition from underemployed domestic workers, unclear work permit rules and expensive credentialling processes exclude them from meaningful work in public health facilities and good jobs in the humanitarian response. This pushes them into unchallenging roles in private clinics, poorly remunerated positions on village health teams or out of the health sector altogether. Health system strengthening initiatives in Uganda to integrate humanitarian and government services and to deter the domestic workforce from emigration have overlooked the potential contributions of refugee health workers and the employment crisis they face. More effort is needed to increase fairness in public sector recruitment practices for refugee health workers, support credentialling, training opportunities for professional and non‐professional cadres, job placements, and to draw attention to the public benefits of refugee health worker employment alongside higher spending on human resources for health.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer Palmer & Stephen Sokiri & Jacob Nhial Bol Char & Amuna Vivian & Denise Ferris & Georgia Venner & John Jal Dak, 2024. "From humanitarian crisis to employment crisis: The lives and livelihoods of South Sudanese refugee health workers in Uganda," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 671-688, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijhplm:v:39:y:2024:i:3:p:671-688
    DOI: 10.1002/hpm.3777
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Clemens & Cindy Huang & Jimmy Graham, 2018. "The Economic and Fiscal Effects of Granting Refugees Formal Labor Market Access," Working Papers 496, Center for Global Development.
    2. Eleanor Hutchinson & Suzanne Kiwanuka & Richard Muhindo & Christine Nimwesiga & Dina Balabanova & Martin McKee & Freddy Eric Kitutu, 2024. "The paradoxical surplus of health workers in Africa: The need for research and policy engagement," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 956-962, May.
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