Africa's health workers are deserting the continent's poorer countries

The British Medical Association warned lives were being lost because of staff shortages, particularly in Africa.

Two-thirds of new doctors and 40% of nurses in the UK came from abroad last year, although the health service does have an ethical recruitment code.

The BMA and Royal College of Nurses have signed up to an international treaty criticising the skills drain.

BMA chairman James Johnson said: "The failure of countries like the US, and to a lesser extent the UK, to train enough doctors has had devastating consequences for the developing world.

"In many parts of Africa there is simply no healthcare of any kind. This cannot go on, it's time for us to act."

At the moment richer countries simply aren't doing enough to prevent a complete catastrophe Dr Edwin Borman, of the British Medical Association Why I want to leave Nigeria's hospitals

Sub-Saharan Africa is short of 1m healthcare workers and in Ghana there are only 1,500 doctors for a population of 20m, as two-thirds of young doctors leave the country within three years of graduation.

The paper, which the two UK organisations have signed along with colleagues from the US, Canada, South Africa and Commonwealth nurse and doctors groups, demanded all signatories must try to become self-sufficient in their recruitment.

It also called on developed countries to help the developing world to retain their doctors and nurses, while urging all countries to ensure their healthcare workers were educated and funded to meet the needs of their populations.

The BMA said it would be calling for governments to act on the recommendations at a conference of Commonwealth health ministers in Geneva at the weekend.

'Catastrophe'

Dr Edwin Borman, chairman of the BMA's international committee, added: "At the moment, richer countries simply aren't doing enough to prevent a complete catastrophe.

"The UK has taken a lead in developing an ethical recruitment policy, but all developed countries must follow suit if this is to be a successful initiative."

The Department of Health introduced a code of conduct on ethical recruitment in 2001.

The code was beefed up last year to include private recruitment agencies and now lists more than 150 countries from which doctors and nurses cannot be taken.

A spokeswoman said the NHS was a world leader in ethical recruitment, adding: "The NHS does not actively recruit from any country that does not wish to be recruited from."

She also pointed out that the UK government had given �560m over the last five years to support health system in Africa.

But she added: "The NHS is a world renowned health service and many overseas health professionals will want to benefit from the career opportunities it offers, these individuals frequently then return to use there enhanced skills and knowledge to the benefit of their home healthcare system."