Appeal for 6m more teachers and medics

THE desperate need for doctors, nurses and teachers in countries such as Malawi was highlighted yesterday in the latest campaign by Oxfam to improve health and education in the developing world.

The global campaign - "health and education for all" - is calling for investment in six million more teachers, doctors and nurses around the world to help some of the 80 million children who do not go to school and 4,000 children dying every day from diarrhoea.

The situation in Malawi, which was highlighted recently in The Scotsman, is being used by the charity as an example of where the problem is particularly acute.

The Scottish Government has committed at least £3 million a year to the country as part of the £9 million annual international development budget.

Eilidh Whiteford, Oxfam Scotland's campaign manager, said aid needed to be better targeted at helping developing countries to improve the health and education sectors.

Speaking from Malawi, she said: "There are 6,000 nursing vacancies in Malawi, a country that desperately needs more nurses and other healthcare workers. There are a number of reasons why the shortage is so acute: trained staff can earn more overseas or in the private sector.

"HIV and AIDS have affected many people of working age, and though access to treatment is improving, many thousands have died already, often leaving family members vulnerable. The high drop-out rate from school due to poverty, especially among girls, means that there are too few young people ready to train as nurses."