WorldStage— African health ministers have endorsed the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035, a 10-year strategy committing to plan, educate, employ, and retain 3 million additional health workers by 2035.
The landmark declaration was adopted at the 76th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aiming to tackle critical workforce shortages and expand quality healthcare access across the continent.
Africa faces a severe healthcare workforce crisis, currently holding only about 46% of the staff it needs. Although the total workforce grew to 5.72 million in 2024, projections show the continent could face a deficit of over 6 million health professionals by 2035 without immediate intervention.
Concurrently, a deep systemic paradox exists, with hospitals remaining understaffed while estimated one million qualified African health professionals are currently unemployed.
In multiple nations, more than half of newly graduated doctors, nurses, and midwives cannot secure local employment.
The newly approved agenda represents a shift from merely training professionals to actively absorbing and sustaining talent but also mandates cross-sector collaboration across health, education, finance, and labour ministries to improve workforce planning, job creation, and retention.
“Educating health workers is only the beginning,” stated Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO Regional Director for Africa. “We must also create the opportunities, the support, and the conditions that enable them to serve, grow, and thrive where they are needed most.
“Financing the ambitious 10-year roadmap is estimated to require an additional US$4 to US$6 per person annually across Africa.
“However, WHO data indicates that the economic benefits are profound, maintaining that every dollar invested can generate up to US$10 in direct economic returns.
“Investment yields nearly 30 times its value in broader social benefits.By linking national education pipelines, domestic funding frameworks, and strict accountability systems, member states aim to halt the ongoing medical “brain drain.”
The ultimate benchmark of success will be determined by how effectively African nations turn this policy into secure, local public health jobs.
