World Bank Group2019-06-132019-06-132018-10https://hdl.handle.net/10986/31860Rural areas can face acute human resource shortages of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals. Health workers may perceive rural postings as low-status, offering few professional opportunities, and limiting their quality of life; in those situations, they cluster in relatively advantaged urban areas, leaving rural areas understaffed. Adequate staffing of rural areas will require better incentives for rural service; creative applications of the medical education system to better serve rural areas; and creative and appropriate task-shifting to prioritize health workers' scarce time.CC BY 3.0 IGOHEALTH WORKERSMEDICAL SCHOOLHEALTH SERVICE DELIVERYRURAL HEALTH WORKERCONTINUING EDUCATIONMEDICAL EDUCATIONRURAL HEALTH SERVICESWORKER RETENTIONBriefWorld Bank10.1596/31860