A new web-based tool developed by The Task Force and partners has significantly reduced turnover of healthcare workers in Mozambique and brought greater stability to the country’s health system.

Mozambique – like many African countries – has a shortage of skilled healthcare workers to meet the health needs of their populations. Compounding the issue is a high level of turnover among nurses assigned to health facilities around the country.

The Task Force’s Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII) worked with partners to develop an automated tool for assigning healthcare workers to hospitals and clinics around Mozambique. The tool uses mathematical calculations and algorithms to allocate healthcare workers according to their preferences and the health needs of different communities. In just two years, the tool has significantly reduced reassignment requests by nurses.

“This new tool significantly improves transparency and efficiency in the allocation process,” said Juneka Rembert, PHII senior business analyst. “It also positively affects retention and satisfaction of healthcare workers, which ultimately helps improve health outcomes for the people they serve.”

Tanzania is now piloting the workforce allocation tool and Zimbabwe is exploring whether the tool will benefit its health system. Later this year, PHII will demonstrate the tool at a regional health meeting of several sub-Saharan African countries and discuss how they might use it in their allocation processes.

PHII developed the original tool with Dr. Pinar Keskinocak and a team of graduate students from the Georgia Institute of Technology and staff at the nongovernmental organization Jhpiego. This work is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.