Africa Faces 5.85m Health Worker Shortfall As Nigeria Hosts Continental Talks
Dr. Nafisat Makinɗe, Abuja
Nigeria Africa faces a projected shortage of 5.85 million health workers by 2030, according to a media advisory issued by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), ahead of a continental forum scheduled to hold in Abuja from Oct. 28 to 30.
The forum will focus on efforts to recruit, train, deploy and retain two million community health workers across Africa by 2030. According to the advisory issued on Oct. 21, the meeting is being organised by Africa CDC in collaboration with the Nigerian government and continental partners to strengthen community health services and mobilise political commitment and sustainable financing.
The meeting will bring together African ministers of health and finance, senior government officials, African Union institutions, development partners and community health representatives. The high-level ministerial session is scheduled for Oct. 30 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, where participants will discuss workforce planning, domestic financing, employment, deployment and retention.
Africa had an estimated 1.15 million community health workers in 2024, the advisory said. The projected shortage of 5.85 million by 2030 applies to the broader health workforce, highlighting the scale of the staffing challenge facing African health systems.
The discussions will also address the role of community health workers in primary healthcare, maternal and child health, vaccination coverage and disease surveillance. The advisory cites public health threats, including Ebola outbreaks, as part of the context for strengthening the capacity of community-based health services to identify threats and support responses to emergencies.
The programme includes the launch of the Continental Community Health Acceleration Plan and the Continental Community Health Programme Scorecard, as well as the next cycle of the Continental Community Health Landscape Survey. Participants are also expected to discuss costed national plans for 2026 to 2030, with attention to financing, workforce investment and accountability.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is identified in the advisory as the African Union champion for human resources for health and the Community Health Delivery Partnership. Journalists have been invited to cover the proceedings, particularly the Oct. 30 ministerial session. Interviews with Africa CDC officials, government representatives and technical experts may be arranged on request, subject to availability.