Africa still faces 5.85 mn health worker shortfall despite recruitment gains

Nairobi, Kenya - Despite expanding their health workforce, Africa still faces a shortage of 5.85 million health workers, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). In 2024, the continent's health workforce reached 5.72 million, a significant increase from 4.3 million in 2018. However, this workforce falls short of the 7.57 million needed to meet Universal Health Coverage targets by 2030.

Africa CDC warns that progress in closing the workforce gap remains too slow. The agency calls for faster training, recognition, regulation, remuneration, and empowerment of health workers. Currently, community health workers account for about 1.06 million of the workforce, playing a crucial role in delivering care, especially in rural and underserved areas.

The shortage has decreased from 6.1 million to 5.85 million, but millions of people remain at risk due to inadequate access to essential health services. Addressing this challenge requires increased investment in training, stronger professional regulation, improved remuneration, and better working conditions to support recruitment and retention.