The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarm over the growing challenges facing Africa’s health workforce, particularly nurses, due to an exodus of skilled personnel and chronic underfunding. Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, has called for urgent, bold, and sustained investments to address these issues and strengthen the continent’s health systems.

In a message on Saturday marking International Nurses Day 2025, Dr. Ihekweazu stressed that investments in nursing education, working conditions, and leadership opportunities were critical to ensuring a sustainable healthcare future across the continent. Despite notable progress in increasing the nursing workforce, Africa still lags significantly behind global health indicators.

“While global efforts to expand the nursing workforce have led to an increase from 28 million nurses in 2018 to 29.8 million globally, the benefits of this growth have not been equally distributed. Approximately 80% of nurses serve only 49% of the world’s population, with Africa bearing a disproportionate share of the shortfall,” Dr. Ihekweazu said.

He highlighted the recent strides made in the African Region, where the number of nurses nearly doubled from 900,000 in 2018 to 1.7 million in 2023. This increase has improved the nurse-to-population ratio from 8.7 to 14.1 per 1,000 people. However, this ratio remains one of the lowest globally, more than ten times lower than in high-income countries.

The shortage of nurses, Dr. Ihekweazu pointed out, accounts for a staggering 66% of the projected health workforce deficit of 6.1 million by 2030 in Africa. This deficiency hampers access to essential healthcare services, particularly maternal and child health, chronic disease care, and the achievement of universal health coverage.

Alarmingly, nearly 42% of nurses in Africa have expressed an intention to emigrate, exacerbating the existing crisis. High-income countries continue to recruit from low-income settings, with foreign-born nurses comprising nearly a quarter of their workforce. This ‘brain drain’ threatens to undermine fragile health systems across Africa.

Dr. Ihekweazu also highlighted the financial constraints many African countries face, with health workforce financing experiencing an average shortfall of 43%. Despite these challenges, he commended the courage and commitment of nurses, who represent nearly 70% of the health workforce and are pivotal in both everyday healthcare delivery and emergency response.

Reflecting on the theme of this year’s observance, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Health Systems and Economies,” Dr. Ihekweazu reiterated the importance of supporting and empowering nurses, stressing that building strong and equitable health systems depends largely on how well nurses are treated.

While the challenges are significant, Dr. Ihekweazu remains hopeful, citing recent developments that indicate progress. In May 2024, African leaders endorsed the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter, marking a historic commitment to long-term improvements. He pointed to Zimbabwe’s national health workforce compact, which aims to mobilize an additional $166 million annually over the next three years to support its health workforce as a model of progress.

In conclusion, Dr. Ihekweazu called on stakeholders to move beyond mere expressions of gratitude for nurses and take concrete, measurable actions to train, protect, respect, and empower these critical professionals to lead the way in Africa’s health systems. The need for a concerted effort to address the underlying issues is more pressing than ever, as nurses continue to serve on the frontline of Africa’s healthcare challenges.