55 countries facing serious health worker shortages – WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that at least 55 countries are grappling with serious health‑worker shortages as professionals seek better‑paid opportunities in wealthier nations. The pandemic has intensified recruitment efforts by richer countries, prompting many health workers to leave their home systems. African nations are the hardest hit, with 37 countries on the continent facing critical gaps in their health workforce. These shortages threaten the achievement of universal health care by 2030, a key Sustainable Development Goal pledge.

The WHO alert also scrutinises the actions of wealthy OECD members and other regions that have accelerated recruitment of international health personnel. “Within Africa, it’s a very vibrant economy that is creating new opportunities,” said Dr. Jim Campbell, WHO’s director responsible for health‑worker policy, in a statement on Tuesday. “The Gulf States have traditionally relied on international personnel, and some OECD high‑income countries have dramatically increased recruitment to respond to the pandemic, the loss of lives, infections, and worker absences.”

To help protect vulnerable health systems, WHO has issued an updated health‑workforce support and safeguards list, highlighting nations with low numbers of qualified healthcare staff. The organization stresses that these countries require priority support for health‑workforce development and health‑system strengthening, along with safeguards that limit active international recruitment.

Supporting the call for universal health care in line with the SDGs, WHO Director‑General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus urged all nations to respect the provisions of the health‑workforce support and safeguards list. “Health workers are the backbone of every health system, yet 55 countries with some of the world’s most fragile systems lack sufficient staff and are losing workers to international migration,” he said.

While many countries adhere to existing WHO guidelines on health‑worker recruitment, the principle is not universally accepted. “The majority of countries are respecting those provisions by not actively recruiting from vulnerable nations,” Campbell noted. “However, a private recruitment market does exist, and we are urging it to meet global standards in practice and behaviour.” Mechanisms are also in place for governments or individuals to notify WHO if they are concerned about recruiters’ conduct.

The WHO health‑workforce support and safeguards list does not prohibit international recruitment but recommends that governments involved in such programmes be informed about the impact on the health systems of the source countries.