More health workers do not necessarily mean that communities can obtain the care they need. A WHO report published in October describes a growing workforce whose distribution remains deeply unequal. The world now has over 70 million health and care workers, yet shortages persist across countries and regions. Medical doctor density in the WHO European Region is thirteen times that in the WHO African Region. The report also examines an approaching retirement wave: nearly a quarter of doctors are older than 55, based on data from 122 countries.
Meanwhile, ageing populations are likely to increase demand for services. WHO projects a global shortage of 11.1 million health workers by 2030. Training new staff is therefore only part of the challenge. Countries also need forward-looking employment and retention policies, supported by better workforce data. Planning must consider where professionals work and whether they remain in their jobs, rather than focusing simply on how many are trained.