The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised a serious alarm over the intentions of 42 percent of nurses in Africa to emigrate, a trend that threatens to deepen the continent’s already critical shortage of healthcare workers. Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, highlighted this concern in a message released on International Nurses Day, May 10, 2025.
While the global nursing workforce has grown from around 28 million in 2018 to nearly 29.8 million today, stark disparities remain. Nearly 80 percent of nurses serve only 49 percent of the world’s population, underscoring severe inequities in healthcare delivery. In Africa, despite an increase in the number of nurses from 900,000 in 2018 to 1.7 million in 2023, the nurse-to-population ratio remains one of the lowest globally-more than ten times lower than in high-income countries.
Nurses constitute nearly 70 percent of the health workforce and are essential to the functioning of health systems, especially during crises. However, Africa faces a projected shortfall of 6.1 million health workers by 2030, with nurses accounting for 66 percent of this gap. This shortage limits access to essential healthcare services and hampers progress toward universal health coverage.
The high intention to emigrate among African nurses is driven by factors including poor working conditions, inadequate compensation, and limited career development opportunities. For example, Nigeria alone has seen tens of thousands of nurses and midwives leave for countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, further weakening its healthcare system.
WHO emphasizes the urgent need to support and retain nurses through investments in education, improved working environments, and policies that address migration drivers. The theme for International Nurses Day 2025, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Health Systems and Economies,” reflects this priority.
Without effective interventions, the continued outflow of nurses risks undermining healthcare delivery across Africa, threatening the health and well-being of millions.
Sources: WHO, Africa CDC, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Daily Post
