By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, May 13, GNA – Africa’s health workforce has recorded significant growth over the past six years, driven largely by increases in nursing, midwifery and community health personnel.
However, severe shortages, unemployment and migration continue to undermine progress toward universal health coverage, a new regional data has revealed.
The data, covering 2018 to 2024 across the World Health Organization, showed that the number of medical doctors increased by between 26 and 27 per cent, nursing personnel by 31 per cent, pharmacists by 43 per cent and midwifery personnel by 81 per cent – the fastest-growing cadre.
Overall, the selected “tracer professions” used to monitor Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.c recorded an average growth of 36 per cent, representing an annual growth rate of 5.28 per cent.
Dr Adelheid Onyango, the Director, Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, in a presentation at the opening of the 2nd Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum in Accra, has said.
The three-day forum, builds on commitments made in 2024 and seeks to transition from promises to measurable outcomes on the theme: “From Words to Action: Plan, Train, Retain.”
She noted that the most recent expansion between 2022 and 2024 was driven mainly by community health workers and non-medical support staff, with nursing and midwifery personnel posting the largest net increase of about 300,000 workers, while support cadres grew by approximately 110,000.
However, the report warned that several critical professions linked to rehabilitation, nutrition, public health and environmental health were declining.
“These are support functions that are essential for prevention, quality assurance and continuity of care,” Dr Onyango noted, cautioning that concentrating only on treatment-focused professions could weaken health systems over time”.
She explained that the region’s total health workforce stock increased from 1.98 million in 2018 to 2.5 million in 2022 and further to 2.67 million in 2024.
Health workforce density also improved to 23.7 workers per 10,000 population, up from 22.8 in 2018, after a temporary decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, she added.
Dr Onyango said 31 out of the 47 countries in the WHO African Region recorded gains in both workforce stock and density, with seven countries achieving growth above 50 per cent.
Despite the progress, 16 countries reported declining workforce density between 2022 and 2024, while 15 countries collectively lost nearly 200,000 nurses and 3,500 doctors within two years due largely to retirement and migration.
The report highlighted stark global inequalities in health workforce distribution, noting that Africa continued to lag far behind North America and Europe in the density of doctors, nurses and other essential health professionals.
The WHO Director, speaking on training capacity, said the region recorded strong growth in annual graduates from health training institutions.
The number of graduates increased from 155,000 in 2018 to 255,000 in 2022 and exceeded 325,000 in 2024 based on data from 42 countries.
While describing the expansion in education capacity as encouraging, she expressed concern about the quality of training and competencies among graduates.
Dr Onyango noted that survey findings presented during the review showed that health workers correctly diagnosed only 62 per cent of clinical cases presented to them, while just 40 per cent of patients received treatment aligned with standard guidelines.
In more complex cases involving multiple conditions, treatment accuracy dropped sharply to 27 per cent.
The report also revealed a troubling employment paradox across the continent.
Although Africa faces severe shortages of health workers, an estimated 27 per cent of qualified health personnel remain unemployed, with rates ranging from 7.2 per cent in some countries to as high as 56 per cent in others.
Approximately one million health workers are believed to be affected by unemployment, with new graduates bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Health experts warned that delayed employment after graduation could lead to deterioration in clinical skills and competence.
Even among those classified as employed, up to half in some countries were serving as unpaid volunteers.
Migration remains another major challenge confronting African health systems.
According to the data, for every 10 doctors and nurses working within the African region, at least one is employed abroad.
In addition, 46 per cent of health workers currently serving in African facilities indicated intentions to migrate, mainly to countries such as Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The WHO estimates that Africa’s health workforce shortage, projected at 6.1 million in 2022, could still stand at 5.85 million by 2030 if current trends continue.
Without major interventions, the region’s workforce deficit could rise from the current 46 per cent to 51 per cent by 2030 and 53 per cent by 2035.
Regional disparities also persist, with Southern Africa recording significantly better workforce coverage than Eastern and Central Africa.
The report proposed several investment scenarios to narrow the gap.
Absorbing all currently unemployed health workers would require an additional investment of about US$3.4 per capita and could reduce the shortage to 5.1 million by 2030.
Combining 90 per cent workforce absorption with a 20 per cent increase in training capacity would cost approximately US$3.6 per capita and reduce the deficit to 4.9 million.
A more ambitious plan involving full absorption and doubling of training capacity would require about US$6 per capita but could cut the projected shortage to 2.7 million by 2030.
Health officials called for stronger political commitment, sustainable financing and strategic workforce planning to address the crisis.
Dr Onyango argued that investments in health workforce development offer significant economic and social returns, estimating that every US$1 invested in training yields US$9 in economic returns and up to US$33 in broader social benefits.
She thus called for African governments to strengthen planning, training, employment and retention systems to secure the future of healthcare delivery across the continent.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba
Reporter: Samira Larbie
[email protected]