Africa is heading toward a health workforce crisis—and training more doctors, nurses and midwives alone may not solve it.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the continent could be short of more than six million health workers by 2035 unless governments urgently address weaknesses in workforce planning, financing, education and job creation.
The warning comes from the WHO Regional Office for Africa’s State of the Health Workforce in Africa 2026 report, released as African health ministers adopted a new 10-year plan to strengthen the continent’s health workforce.
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Africa has workers—but not enough
Africa had an estimated 5.72 million health workers in 2024, according to the report.
That represents significant growth over the past decade. But the continent still had only about 46% of the health workforce it needs to meet its healthcare demands.
Without major structural changes, WHO projects:
- 5.85 million fewer health workers than required by 2030
- More than six million by 2035
The shortage could leave already strained health systems struggling to provide adequate care as populations grow and healthcare needs increase.
The paradox: shortages and unemployment at the same time
Perhaps the most striking part of the crisis is what happens after training.
WHO estimates that almost 30% of trained health professionals are unemployed or underemployed, meaning the continent is simultaneously dealing with workforce shortages and a lack of suitable employment for people already trained to work in healthcare.
In several African countries, more than half of newly qualified doctors, nurses and midwives reportedly struggle to find jobs shortly after completing their training.
The problem, therefore, is not simply “train more health workers.”
It is also about creating enough jobs to absorb them and ensuring they can work where their skills are most urgently needed.
Ministers commit to three million more workers
In response, African health ministers adopted the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035.
The initiative commits countries to collectively plan, educate, employ and retain three million additional health workers by 2035.
Its approach goes beyond expanding training institutions. It targets the entire health labour market, including:
- Better workforce planning
- Higher-quality education and training
- More health-sector jobs
- Improved working conditions
- Stronger retention policies
- More equitable distribution of skilled workers
The goal is to ensure that newly trained professionals do not simply join the workforce—they find sustainable employment and remain in communities where healthcare shortages are greatest.
The investment required
WHO estimates that closing Africa’s health workforce gap will require an additional US$4–$6 per person each year.
The organisation also says the economic case for investment is substantial: every dollar invested in the health workforce could generate up to $10 in economic returns, while healthier populations can contribute to greater productivity and stronger economies.
For governments facing competing demands on public finances, that calculation turns health workforce spending from a purely social investment into an economic development strategy.
Why the new agenda matters
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, said the commitment reflects a collective decision to strengthen one of the foundations of African health systems: the people who deliver healthcare.
But the real test will come after the commitments are signed.
The agenda requires cooperation well beyond health ministries. Education, finance, labour and public-service authorities will all have to coordinate policies, budgets and employment plans.
The central challenge is now clear: Africa does not simply need more trained health workers. It needs a functioning system capable of training them, employing them, supporting them and keeping them where they are needed most.
Whether the continent can close the projected gap by 2035 will ultimately depend on how quickly governments turn that commitment into funding, jobs and measurable improvements in healthcare access.