WHO Warns Africa Could Face Over 6 Million Health Worker Shortage by 2035

Africa could face a shortage of more than six million health workers by 2035 unless governments urgently improve workforce planning, funding, education and employment, the World Health Organisation has warned. WHO’s State of the Health Workforce in Africa 2026 report says the continent had an estimated 5.72 million health workers in 2024. This was only about 46 per cent of the workforce needed to meet Africa’s healthcare demands. The projected shortfall could reach 5.85 million by 2030 and exceed six million five years later. The report also identified a major contradiction: health facilities are understaffed, yet almost 30 per cent of trained health professionals are unemployed or underemployed. In several countries, more than half of newly qualified doctors, nurses and midwives struggle to find work after graduation. African health ministers have adopted a 2026–2035 agenda to train, employ and retain three million additional health workers. WHO estimates that closing the gap will require an extra US$4 to US$6 per person annually, but says investment in health workers could deliver major economic and social returns.

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