In response to accusations of UK poaching healthcare staff from developing countries, international development and health services minister Gareth Thomas wrote in The Guardian that the UK is not only investing in the expansion of the medical and nursing workforces in the UK, but also in Africa.

But the shortage of health workers in many countries is about much more than migration. As we learned when we talked to doctors and nurses on a recent visit to Malawi and Zambia, it is low pay, poor working conditions and lack of professional career development that encourage doctors and nurses to leave. Some go overseas, but many go into other careers in their own countries. Sadly, African countries continue to lose many of their health professionals to Aids.

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