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Introduction

In the past, the migration of skilled health professionals from poorer to richer countries was essentially a passive process. Movement was driven mainly by the political, economic, social, and professional circumstances of the individual migrant. In recent years, however, demand for health workers in many countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has been greatly increased by changes in population dynamics. In response, some of these countries are relying increasingly on imported labour, with potentially damaging consequences for the healthcare systems in many developing countries, especially Africa. Indiscriminate poaching of health professionals is also likely to damage receiving countries in the long term. In this article I explore the policy options likely to minimise the consequences of migration of health workers.