WHO: 42% of nurses in Africa intend to emigrate

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 42 percent of nurses in Africa reported intentions to emigrate.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, the acting WHO regional director for Africa, spoke about this in his message to commemorate International Nurses Day.

International Nurses Day is commemorated on May 12.

The theme for 2025 is: ‘Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Health Systems and Economies’.

Ihekweazu said while the global nursing workforce had increased to 29.8 million, up from around 28 million in 2018, there were concerning disparities.

He said this poses a significant threat to the region’s already strained healthcare workforce.

“Nearly 80 percent of nurses serve only 49 percent of the world’s population, underscoring severe inequities in healthcare delivery,” he said.

“Today, on International Nurses Day, we honour the commitment, compassion, and courage of nurses across Africa and the world.

“Nurses represent nearly 70 percent of the health workforce and are the foundation of our health systems, essential every day and indispensable in times of crisis.”

He said the theme highlighted the importance of supporting nurses to build resilient, equitable, and thriving health systems.

Ihekweazu pointed out that while recent investments in nursing education and training in Africa had shown positive results, the number of nurses had increased from 900,000 in 2018 to 1.7 million in 2023.

“This growth is a testament to the efforts made to improve healthcare staffing on the continent,” he said.

“However, in spite of these advancements, the nurse-to-population ratio remains one of the lowest globally, significantly lower than in high-income countries.

“This disparity highlights the ongoing challenges in addressing healthcare workforce shortages in Africa.

“Yet, this is still one of the lowest ratios worldwide and more than tenfold lower than in high-income countries.

“In our region, 42% of nurses also report an intention to emigrate, an alarming trend that risks draining critical talent and undermining our most fragile systems.”

He noted that nurses account for 66 percent of Africa’s projected shortfall of 6.1 million health workers by 2030, a gap that limits access to essential healthcare services and hinders progress towards universal health coverage.

He said in spite of 43 percent of the nursing workforce in Africa being under 35, many nurses lack access to mentorship or clear career pathways.

He also raised concerns about the continued recruitment of nurses from low-income countries by high-income nations, which he said relies heavily on foreign-born nurses accounting for nearly 25 percent of their nursing workforce.