The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about an impending global healthcare crisis, highlighting a huge shortage of nurses and midwives.
In a statement released on International Nurses Day, WHO revealed that by 2030, the world will face a shortfall of 4.8 million nurses and 310,000 midwives, noting that currently, there are an estimated 29 million nurses and 2.2 million midwives globally.
According to the statement, the alarming gap is expected to hit most in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and parts of Latin America, which poses threats to the stability and effectiveness of healthcare systems worldwide.
WHO stressed that Nurses and midwives are integral to healthcare systems, that provides essential care, shaping health policies, and driving primary care initiatives, while noting that they play a crucial role in emergency response and the overall sustainability of healthcare.
WHO however, stated that in many countries, nurses constitute half of the healthcare workforce and are vital in organizing and implementing health actions.
It said that women dominate the healthcare sector, representing 67 per cent of workers in the health and social sector, compared to 41 percent across all employment sectors.
Furthermore, WHO said that nursing and midwifery are particularly female-dominated, with over 80 per cent of the world’s nurses working in countries that house only half of the global population. It added that one in eight nurses practices in a different country than where they were born or trained.
WHO added that many female nurses correlate with positive health outcomes, noting that studies show that an increase in female nurses is associated with better health service coverage, longer life expectancy, and lower infant mortality rates.
