More health workers, stronger systems: Africa’s new ambitious goal

Facing a projected shortage of more than six million health professionals by 2035, African countries are stepping up efforts to strengthen their workforce, with a new decade-long plan announced on Wednesday during a meeting of health ministers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Key pointsThe new plan calls for coordinated investment to ensure countries have a skilled, motivated and adequately supported workforce capable of meeting Africa’s rapidly growing health needsThe agenda marks a shift from simply training more health workers to building sustainable, well-planned and equitably distributed health systems African health ministers also endorsed a new regional strategy to give every child the best possible start in lifeAdopted during the 76th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, the Health Workforce Management Programme in Africa (2026–2035) aims to transform health-sector labour markets.The ministers approved a 10-year programme to train, employ and retain three million additional health workers in a major push to bolster health systems across the continent.“Our Member States have recognised that training health professionals is only the beginning,...