Africa risks over 6m health workers shortage – WHO

Africa could face a shortage of more than six million health workers by 2035 unless urgent measures are taken to address persistent gaps in workforce planning, financing, education, and employment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned this in its latest State of the Health Workforce in Africa 2026 report. Africa had an estimated 5.72 million health workers in 2024, representing only about 46 per cent of the workforce required to meet the continent’s health needs. The report projects a shortage of about 5.85 million health workers by 2030, which could rise to more than six million by 2035 if structural problems in the health labour market are not addressed. The crisis is compounded by a striking labour market paradox: while health facilities face severe shortages, nearly 30 per cent of trained health professionals are unemployed or underemployed. WHO said more than half of newly qualified nurses, doctors, and midwives in several African countries struggle to secure employment soon after graduation, indicating a mismatch between health worker training and job availability. African health ministers endorsed a new agenda, the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026-2035, committing countries to plan, educate, employ, and retain three million additional health workers by 2035. This shift aims to strengthen the entire health labour market, including workforce planning, quality education, job creation, and retention. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, emphasized that educating health workers is only part of the solution, stressing the need for opportunities and working conditions that enable them to serve and remain where most needed. Closing the health workforce gap would require additional investment of about US$4 to US$6 per person annually. WHO estimated that every dollar invested could generate up to 10 dollars in economic returns, alongside broader social benefits from healthier populations, higher productivity, and stronger economies. The new agenda calls for coordinated action across health, education, finance, labour, and public service sectors to improve equitable distribution and retention of skilled workers, particularly in areas with the most shortages. Success depends on translating commitments into sustained investment and measurable improvements in access to quality healthcare.