Research

The Millennium Development Ride will traverse 18 nations spanning two continents. Collectively, these nations represent some of the least developed in the world. In Bangladesh, for example, nearly three quarters of all births still occur without any skilled health worker present, and women die during pregnancy or childbirth 10 times as frequently as in developed OECD nations. Meanwhile, prevalence of HIV remains high throughout Eastern and Southern Africa, and life expectancy in several sub-Saharan African nations is still only 50 years.

Fortunately, in recent years increased attention has been paid to addressing these alarming health gaps, largely thanks to international collaboration between nations, organizations, foundations, and individual communities across the developing world (learn more about 8 of these key organizations). Public health systems are significantly stronger now than over a decade ago when the Millennium Development Goals were instituted, and more people are receiving free or reduced price treatment than ever before.

But despite this progress, across South Asia and Africa there still remain far too few health workers to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. In fact, in 2006 the World Health Organization identified 57 nations with “critical shortages” of health workers, amounting to a deficit of some 2.4 million physicians and nurses. In many of these nations, too few health workers are being trained, and too many choose to migrate to different (and frequently more developed) nations after their training.

To help address these critical shortages, the Millennium Development Ride team will be conducting a series of qualitative research stops along their route. Lead by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine student and Ride co-founder Dave Silvestri, the group will explore the complex factors that drive physicians and nurses to migrate from rural-to-urban settings and from developing-to-developed countries. Their work is supported in part by a research grant to examine health worker migration from developing nations.

For inquiries about the Millennium Development Ride research, email [email protected].

Sources: World Bank (2011); CIA World Factbook (2011); WHO (2006)