Uganda needs a new health workforce recruitment system in place, Prof. Francis Omaswa, the executive director of the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST), a health rights NGO, has said.

“Right now, recruiting health workers is decentralised. This is a major cause of problems. There are many unfilled posts yet so many unemployed health workers,” Omaswa, a former director-general of health services in the health ministry said.

Omaswa, who was speaking at the Uganda-UK Health Alliance webinar on Tuesday, noted that many medics were migrating for greener pastures, and urged the government to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) Code on International Recruitment of Health Personnel.

"Migration is taking place and will continue, whether we like it or not. I would like us to support the WHO Code on International Recruitment of Health Personnel," said Omaswa.

Adopted in 2010 at the 63rd World Health Assembly, the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (“the Code”) seeks to strengthen the understanding and ethical management of international health personnel recruitment through improved data, information, and international cooperation.