Nurses are projected to account for 66% of Africa’s expected shortfall of 6.1 million health workers by 2030, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting Regional Director for Africa at the World Health Organization (WHO), has emphasized.
As the world marks International Nurses Day, in a statement on Saturday, Ihekweazu called for urgent and sustained investments to support Africa’s nursing workforce, which remains critically under-resourced despite recent gains.
He celebrated the courage of nurses across Africa and the world, noting that they represent nearly 70% of the health workforce.
“Nurses are the foundation of our health systems, essential every day, and indispensable in times of crisis.
“This year’s theme, Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Health Systems and Economies, reminds us that supporting nurses is key to building resilient, equitable, and thriving health systems,” Ihekweazu said.
Severe shortages threaten universal health coverage
However, he warned that severe shortages in the nursing workforce continue to threaten progress toward universal health coverage.
“Nurses account for 66% of the region’s projected shortfall of 6.1 million health workers by 2030. This shortage limits access to essential services from maternal and child health to chronic disease care and slows progress towards universal health coverage,” he said.
Ihekweazu also pointed out that while 43% of Africa’s nursing workforce is under the age of 35, many young nurses lack access to mentorship and clear career pathways.
He added that high-income countries continue to recruit nurses from lower-income settings, with foreign-born nurses comprising nearly a quarter of their nursing workforce.
“In our region, 42% of nurses report an intention to emigrate, an alarming trend that risks draining critical talent and undermining our most fragile systems.
“Constrained budgets add a further layer of complexity, as African countries face, on average, a 43% shortfall in health workforce financing.
“As a result, nearly one in three health workers, mostly nurses and midwives, are unemployed or underemployed,” he explained.
New report highlights stark inequities
Emphasizing the significance of the upcoming State of the World’s Nursing Report 2025, Ihekweazu said it delivers a clear and urgent call to action.
“While the global nursing workforce has grown to 29.8 million, up from about 28 million in 2018, this progress conceals dangerous inequities. Nearly 80% of nurses serve only 49% of the world’s population,” he said.
On the African continent, he acknowledged that recent investments in nursing education and training are yielding results.
“The number of nurses has nearly doubled from 900,000 in 2018 to 1.7 million in 2023, raising the nurse-to-population ratio from 8.7 to 14.1 per 100,000 people. Yet this remains one of the lowest ratios globally, more than ten times lower than in high-income countries,” he said.
Signs of progress and regional commitment
Despite the challenges, Ihekweazu expressed optimism, citing growing momentum for reform. In May 2024, African leaders endorsed the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter, setting the stage for long-term reforms.
“Several countries have since begun generating critical workforce data, holding national dialogues, and crafting tailored Investment Compacts to address their specific healthcare needs.
“One notable example is Zimbabwe, whose new compact is projected to mobilize an additional US$166 million annually over the next three years to bolster its health workforce,” he said.
The way forward: Five urgent priorities
Still, Ihekweazu stressed that more needs to be done. The upcoming 2025 report recommends the following priority actions:
- Expand nursing education, including digital and clinical training;
- Strengthen regulation and introduce advanced practice roles.
- Improve working conditions, including mental health support and fair pay;
- Close the gender pay gap, still at 7%, even though women comprise 85% of the nursing workforce;
- Invest in nursing leadership, including empowering Government Chief Nursing Officers.
Ihekweazu said nurses are more than caregivers. “They are educators, innovators, and frontline responders, often working in the most remote, under-resourced, or crisis-affected areas.”
He urged African governments, global partners, and the private sector to move beyond words to action and commit to a future where nurses are trained, protected, respected, and empowered to lead.