The World Health Organisation says Africa faces a projected shortage of more than six million health professionals by 2035.

WHO ‌stated this during a meeting of African health ministers in Addis Ababa.

The global health body noted that Africa’s health workforce has grown significantly over the past decade, reaching nearly 5.72 million professionals in 2024.

It, however, regretted that the increase remained far short of what was needed.

“The continent currently has only about 46 per cent of the health workers required to meet its needs, leaving millions of people without adequate access to essential health services.

“Without decisive action, the shortfall could exceed six million professionals by 2035,” WHO said.

According to WHO, however, Africa faces a striking paradox. Health facilities struggle with staff shortages while nearly one million trained health professionals are unemployed, with recent graduates particularly affected.

In many countries, more than half of newly qualified nurses, doctors and midwives cannot find work shortly after completing their training, it said.

For WHO, the situation underscores the need to better align education and training with labour-market demand, job creation and sustainable financing, while strengthening long-term workforce planning.

However, WHO said it hoped African countries are stepping up efforts to strengthen their workforce, with a new decade-long plan announced on Wednesday in Addis Ababa.

The new plan calls for coordinated investment to ensure countries have a skilled, motivated and adequately supported workforce capable of meeting Africa’s rapidly growing health needs.

The agenda marks a shift from simply training more health workers to building sustainable, well-planned and equitably distributed health systems.

African health ministers also endorsed a new regional strategy to give every child the best possible start in life.

Adopted during the 76th session of the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for Africa, the Health Workforce Management Programme in Africa (2026–2035) aims to transform health-sector labour markets.

The ministers approved a 10-year programme to train, employ and retain three million additional health workers in a major push to bolster health systems across the continent.

“Our member states have recognised that training health professionals is only the beginning,” said Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa. “This programme turns evidence into concrete action and political commitment into sustainable investments for Africa’s health workforce and, ultimately, for the health and well-being of our populations.”

(NAN)