Ministers of health from across Africa have committed to plan for, educate, employ and retain three million more healthcare workers by 2036, as part of the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026-2035.
According to the WHO, despite having an estimated health workforce of 5.72 million as of 2024, Africa still only has about 46% of the workforce it needs. Due to this shortage and the growing population rates, Africa could face a deficit of six million healthcare workers by 2035.
The Health Workforce Agenda is designed to provide countries with a practical roadmap to strengthen health labour markets by "improving workforce planning, expanding quality education, creating employment opportunities and retaining skilled health workers where they are needed most."
The WHO says that the latest evidence shows that closing Africa's health workforce gap would require an additional investment of about $4 to $6 per healthcare worker per year - even as resources are shrinking. The plan would require coordinated action across health, education, finance, labour and public service sectors to ensure investments translate into better access to quality health services.
Originally published by African Business.